The United Party for National Development (UPND) Chairman for Mines and Freedom Fighter Percy Chanda says the Patriotic Front (PF) must apologise to the people of Copperbelt for what they did to Mopani Mine and the Konkola Copper Mine (KCM).
Mr Chanda said that the PF Must say sorry to the people for what they did at the two mines, instead of planning to hold a demonstration, adding that all those who destroyed the two mines should be held accountable for their actions, and investigative wings should arrest all those responsible for messing up Mopani and KCM and charge them with economic sabotage.
“We are not going to allow the same people that destroyed the two mines to start inciting people on the Copper belt,” he said
“We have restrained ourselves from commenting on Mopani and KCM because we are confident that President HH and his team will very soon unlock the two mines. The economic challenges that people of the Copperbelt are facing are as a result of messing up Mopani and KCM. We warn PF to stop teasing and provoking Miners and Zambians at large. Miners know too well that it’s PF’s criminality that destroyed Mopani and KCM. We dare them to go ahead and demonstrate, Miners are itching to meet them head on,” he added
Mr Chanda explained that from the time PF started playing political games with Mopani and KCM mines, the UPND warned them that their actions were not in the best interest of the Zambian people and Miners, as the New Dawn Government has been working very hard in the background to reverse the situation in the best interest of the Zambian people, and Zambians are aware that PF is panicking because very soon major pronouncements will be made on the two mines and this will be the end of PF on the Copperbelt. Adding that the New Dawn Government is on top of things as far as bringing Mopani and KCM to life again.
He has since advised the opposition to keep their politics away from the mining industry, because the damage that was caused to the two mines is lesson enough for any sensible person to do politics away from the mining industry.
“Contractors and Suppliers on the Copper belt are eagerly waiting to do business with Mopani and KCM. Your so called demonstrations will not bring jobs and business opportunities on the Copperbelt,” Mr Chanda said
Meanwhile, the UPND Copperbelt Youth Chairman Mr Warren Hinyama has warned the Patriotic Front (PF) and those planning to hold demonstrations against the government urging the Copperbelt Police Command to be on the lookout.
He reminded those planning to demonstrate that Copperbelt is no longer their bedroom and that PF must behave themselves.
He said that while the government has created an enabling environment surrounding the governance issues in the country, the party will not sit idle and let the PF make the country ungovernable.
Mr Hinyama added that the PF had their time to govern the country but failed lamentably that is why the country has gone into serious economical challenges and the ruling UPND under President Hakainde Hichilema are doing everything possible to fix the economy which was left in tatters.
He assured the people of the Copperbelt Province and Zambia at large that things will get better soon as the President has indicated that 2023 is the year to unlock the local economy.
Mr Hinyama reminded the people that gassing, and other political brutality started from the Copperbelt under their watch .”What are they talking about, PF must be ashamed of themselves these are just doomsayers who have nothing to offer any more I urge every well meaning Zambian to ignore them because they will never govern Zambia again “.He said .
“What kind of human beings are these,you will never change and be remorseful for what you put people of Zambia through,” Mr Hinyama wondered
He further said that the government under President Hakainde Hichilema has done so much under one year ranging from increased CDF from paltry K1. 6 million to now about K28.3 million , Free Education policy, stabilization of the Zambian economy, among other achievements so far .
The Copperbelt Youth Chairman said President Hichilema is resolved and determined to bring Copperbelt and Zambia to its economic glory days.
Copperbelt Province Youth Chairman who was accompanied by several party officials during a press briefing, was reacting to the purported demonstration which PF recently indicated that it will hold demonstrations on the Copperbelt about economical hardships that people on the Copperbelt Province were going through.
Uleikalafye if you have nothing to say….percy Chanda you want to be relevant? If they apologize will that change the situation? I thought you are grand fixers, just do it.
As for gassing you are in power why don’t you carry investigations and find the truth…you were able to resurrect Mumbi Phiri’s and other cases so why can’t you do the same with this one.
@you have hit the nail on its head. Apologize lyonse
Spot on Percy chanda………….
Results of 10 years of PF is the suffering of Zambians, and………..
The economic quagmire we find ourselves……….
As all international mining companies will attest………..
PF were in a habit of soliciting funds for their party at the expense of cooperate and tax responsibility by these companies………….that is why the companies did pretty much what they liked.
These PF thieves are a disgrace, Zambians can not forget the suffering then and spilled over to today. It all lies squarely on PF thieves who have caused the nation to be where we are with huge debts, bad un completed projects and non-exist projects but paid for (thieving). Pathetic PF
You thought running a country was easy. 2026 is around the corner and just pray that Chipenzi and Mwangala have an ace in their sleeves .Otherwise you will continue ruling by excuses and blames.
PF thugs should apologise to the Zambian people for destroying the democratic structures of Zambia. You did so with impunity for your own selfish reasons, not knowing that one day someone else will do the same. Copperbelt is not Zambia and Zambia is not Copperbelt. At least MMD were balanced when it came to regional politics, you thugs reintroduced tribal politics in Zambia. Now were seeing the other thugs UPND studying the contents of your time in office and sleepwalking into the same problems you created.
Lets ask where is Indeni petroleum industry of Ndola,because all that surprises are job losses and the company sinking under the bridge and washed away by the river,with subsequent cost of fuel skyrocketing in the country.Ndola has witnessed the demise of many Industries since 1991 privatisation .
INDENI was an extra cost to the pricing of fuel due to its inefficiencies. That plant was built in 1971 with old technology of separating co-mingled fuel, that is, a mixture of pre-refined fuels with Bitumen. The new system avoids refining the same fuel twice, at source and then at INDENI, which expensive. When you the cost of inefficiency, it becomes even more expensive. What has caused the fuel prices to increase is the removal of tax incentives which the PF had introduced. Plus the spike in the international oil prices due to war in Ukraine. By the way, your previous government left a bill of over USD700million in unpaid debts to the suppliers of the fuel. So when we were enjoying low prices, we were accumulating more debt. PF was utterly irresponsible.
Privatization started around 1993 to 2001, not 1999
The PF have caused the mess in both Mopani and KCM through the ill-advised and corrupt deal and unlawful decisions at both mines. Having caused the mess, they now want to start mocking the poor people of Kitwe and Chingola. They’re behaving like someone who sets a house on fire and then stands aside with folded arms, criticizing the people trying to put out the fire. What kind of evil is this? as Mr Chanda aptly asks….. An this is what they have done to the entire country’s economy, not just the two mines. Someone is trying to fix the huge debt, weak currency, high inflation, low GDP growth, high unemployment, and many more, yet they criticize every move but they drove us into this ditch.
PF failures are well known and very much water gone under the bridge! No one wants to hear frequent reference to PF. You’re in charge now. Move on, and be a step above what PF did! And, threatening citizens against protesting isn’t in the spirit of moving on, it’s retrogressive & doesn’t win minds!
Why do you want to forget the past misdeeds and PF criminality? How do you dig yourself out a ditch if you can’t remember what made you get in there in the first place? We can remember the past while we focus on the future, doing both is very much possible. So PF should also shut up and stop criticizing solutions they could not offer when they actually caused the mess we are in.
You promised Zambians that you were going to fix everything broken , now you keep on crying on daily basis really Zambians are disappointed , you promised them mountains now you are showing your incompetence in all your areas of governance.
Zambians are crying everywhere their lives have become more impoverished in your government , it is now story after story but no results on the ground people are fed up man you should work and not crying , if you cannot have a breakthrough better you give it back to your neighbours.
Zambians are mourning every where they have no food everything have doubled in prices what a shame to this government .
No amount of apologizing by PF will restore the mines to their sensible state. Just tell Barry to fix the problems in the mining sector. You know that PF is history now. Unless you too have no idea what to do.
Spare our ears of hearing PF PF al the time. It was a lost cause and May it vanish forever.
Everyone in Zambia should do a course on the history of mining. Who brought Vedanta to Konkola? Ignoramuses will say “Sata!” “Lungu!” “Kaunda!” “Chiluba!” “MaChinese” and all will be wrong