Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe has charged that it is unfair to label the UPND administration as a puppet government. Mr. Kabuswe said it is the policy of the UPND government to listen to all experts including both local and foreign ones.
He said embracing policy advice from foreign experts does not make the UPND administration a puppet of the West. Mr Kabuswe was speaking when he delivered a Key Note speech at the opening of the Mining Indaba under the theme, “Mining for Change,” organized by the Leadership Conferences Foundation.
Mr. Kabuswe’s comments follows a statement by Socialist Party President Fred M’membe who has labelled the UPND government as a puppet of the West.
Mr M’membe who was in attendance at the Conference did not respond to Mr Kabuswe’s defence of government.
“We will listen to all experts, we will listen to local ones and foreign ones too. As the New Dawn government, we will not discriminate where knowledge will come from, that doesn’t make us a puppet government.”
And Mr. Kabuswe says has urged Zambians to put their heads together and start greenfield mining projects instead of leaving the sector to foreigners.
“We have been managers and supervisors for a long time its time we became mine owners. Apply for licenses now and we shall give you,” Mr. Kabuswe said.
Mr. Kabuswe lamented the fact that only 50 percent of Zambia has been explored for mining while the rest remains unexplored.
“We need to do a comprehensive audit of our mineral resources, this has never been done before and now is the time we got to know exactly how much wealth we have in the ground,” he said.
The Mines Minister also cautioned would be foreign investors against flouting Zambian laws.
“Don’t come to Zambia and misbehave. We also want investment pledges to translate into the well being of Zambians in the mining localities.”
Earlier, Fred Mmembe, the President of the Socialist Party reiterated the call for Zambians to wake up and call the UPND government to check for being western “puppets”.
Dr Mmembe said this during the mining indaba organised by the Leadership Conference Foundation in Lusaka today, also restating that the US combatant arm aka AFRICOM will bring nothing but instability to Zambia.
“I challenge them (government) to face me and deny that they are not puppets because I am saying it again that they are puppet government sponsored by the west,” said Dr Mmembe.
Dr Mmembe cautioned that the same way the west, Belgium to be specific killed DRC (Zaire) Prime Minister 60 years and melted his body in sulphuric acid is the same way they will harm the ones that will oppose them in Zambia.
He said the return of Anglo and entry of AFRICOM is “not in the interest of Zambia its in the interest of themselves as seek our mineral resources such as copper and cobalt.”
Dr Mmembe said, “we were duped over privatisation, duped over liberalisation and today we are being duped about the return of the so-called investors through the puppet governments such as in Zambia and Kenya which they are sponsoring.”
Dr Mmembe said it is a shame that Zambia continues to allow foreign mine companies to continue tax evasion while Zambians go hungry without food or money to educate their children.
“They (so called investors) take you to Cape Town, fund your election and you feel indebted to them. They (government) can ignore my statement its ok, we will also have our time and they won’t manage to ignore us.”
As chief PF cader chief chitimukulu said……
You don’t have to take notice of all barking dogs………..
Membe lives in the 1970s anti imperialist movements………..
The president has positioned zambia well between the west and China………..
Economic advice is welcome from every country………….
Wrong forum which means it’s true you are puppets and you are looking for every opportunity to deny it.
Idi Amin has come back to life.
Dont just post for thumbs up …surely you know how brutal Amin was; be sincere vile thugs like Bowmanand BUFFOON CK has angered
be sincere we you are angered by arrest of vile thugs like Bowman and BUFFOON CK.
Idi Amin…..kikikikiki
When you’re in charge people will call you all sorts of names but what matters are your programs. You also called and are still calling your predecessors all sorts of names. You didn’t consult any Zambian on the role Greg Mills plays at Community House and why our President went to launch his book. So those calling you a puppet Government are to some extent justified. My advice is that concentrate on your job, you’ll individually account for your actions or inactions. And sometimes your agree reactions seem to confirm those assertions. Are you benefitting from the Black Mountain? If you aren’t then clear the air and produce a list of beneficiaries. It’s not fair for people to make those accusations. If you don’t then we’ll make our own conclusions
Rather than a muppet he looks like a lump of black faeces. A pile of sh.l.t
Mbuzi, stop insulting, Gamoto
There is no puppet here, just tell us what you will do if you came to power, of course you coming to power is still a far fetched dream. Is this not the same character who was short changing Zambians by not paying a dime for taxes
Love them or hate them, UPND is on course. Though we live in a democracy, some of these opposition leaders don’t weigh themselves, There was one who even coined this in the last elections, “we are supremely confident that we are winning the next elections”. PF and all opposition parties must disband with immediate effect, this friendly advice, I am trying to help wipe your tears before they come
We are not a puppet government We are a Muppet government-Kabuswe
How’s this thuggish mbuzi aka Kaizar Zero allowed to use such abusive language on LT day after day after day ?
The World has shrunk into a single Village such that financial crooks can no longer hide after committing financial crimes in Africa. (1) The Guptas corrupted Zuma’s regime and escaped justice to hide in Dubai where they have been arrested to face criminal charges in South Africa. (2) In Malawi an Asian Zuneth Sattar has been monitored by UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) within and outside Malawi. Sattar is now facing corruption charges in UK’s High Court. (3) Soon, Vedanta will be monitored and charged in Europe/USA to face charges of corruption committed in Zambia. (4) Locally, a form of “Zondo Commission” will expose ‘State Capture’ in Zambia.
kkkkkkkk concentrate and stop listening to people who can not offer solution to you,but we see that you have conctrated too much on hear say and you will not progress, too much arrest and nothing is happening what is the road map for our mother zambia please be serious.
Not a puppet government – but useless all the same. Especially Paul Kabuswe – what a waste of space this guy is!
the easy way out Mr. Minister is to challenge president Fred , he said it clearly if you want challenge me and i will prove it
Pa Zambia …….kikikiki…..Ati IDI AMIN kikikikki
Idi Amin