President Rupiah Banda has commissioned the resumption of copper production at Luanshya Copper Mine (LCM) Plc which was closed after the former owners Enyo holdings placed it under care and maintenance in January this year.

The Resumption of production of copper at LCM will rekindle the hope that had eluded Luanshya district after 2,300 miners lost their jobs following Enyo holdings’ pull out due to negative effects of the global economic crisis.

President Banda said the resumption of production at LCM barely 11 months after it was placed under care and maintenance is testimony of governments concern over Zambian people’s welfare.

He said quick action by his government to find a new investor to take over the mine has resulted into the reopening of the mine.

He observed that LCM has for many decades now, been the main livelihood for the people in the district.

“This explains why government moved in quickly to find ways and means of recapitalizing the mine when the previous owners Enyo holdings announced their intention to put the mine under care and maintenance,” he said.

President Banda expressed confidence that the reopening of the mine will led to an improved quality of life of the people of Luanshya, and contribute to the country’s economic development.

He said he was delighted that the China Non-Ferrous Metal Mining Company (CMMC) has already employed 2,250 workers and hopes that more jobs will be created for the suppliers of goods and services to the mines.

Mr. Banda further expressed happiness that CMMC has already invested US$38 million in rehabilitating mining equipment and machinery in all surface and under ground plants.

“It is my desire to see this huge investment to benefit the people of Luanshya not only through job creation in the mines but also through the development of other industries that can be sustainable beyond mining,” he said.

President Banda has since thanked the people of Luanshya for remaining calm and peaceful after the mine was placed under care and maintenance.

He also paid tribute to National Union of Mine Workers (NUMW), Mine Union of Zambia (MUZ) and other trade unions for following the right channels to address the challenges that arose as a result of the placement of the mine under care and maintenance.

Mr. Banda has further implored employees and people of Luanshya to give support to the new investors and urged CMMC to respect and pay workers handsomely.

And Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Quiangmin pledged his country’s continued investment in the Zambian economy.

He assured that China will stand with the Zambian government during hard and favorable economic times.

Mr. Quiangmin said his government believes in withstanding the economic storm and promoting a win-win situation with countries in which it has invested.

“The Chinese company committed themselves to 3 NO’s which are ‘no reducing investment, no laying off employees, and no down sizing production,” he said.

He said China Non Ferrous Metal Mining Company which took over the running of LCM has reversed people’s perspective over Chinese investment in Zambia.

He said although Zambia and China where geographically miles away, the two countries enjoy long time-honorable friendship.

Mr. Quiangmin further pointed out that apart from the US$ 38 million already invested at LCM, CMMC will increase investment up to US$ 400 million in the next few years.

He further thanked the Zambian government for entrusting the take over of LCM in to the Chinese investment and for supporting the new investors during the hard economic times.

Meanwhile, LCM Chief Executive Officer Luo Xin’geng said CMMC has over come a series of difficulties through working together with the Zambian employees since it took over the mine on 24th June 2009.

Mr. Xin’geng said so far LCM has invested US$38 million and will increase the investment to US$170 million next year.

He assured that the Chinese investors will follow Zambian labour laws and respect culture and relay on Zambian employees to manage the mine.

“Moreover, we actively participate in the welfare of the community for the benefit of the people of Lunashya,”he said.

Present at the production resumption ceremony were Vice President George Kunda, first republic president Kenneth Kaunda, Mines Minster Maxwell Mwale, Commerce Minster Felix Mutati and his Energy counterpart Kenneth Konga.

Others were Labour Minister Austin Liato, Copperbelt Minster Mwansa Mbulakulima some Deputy Ministers and other senior government officials.

Also present were 14 Chiefs from within Luanshya district and beyond and some Chinese investors.

Meanwhile President Banda has met chiefs from various chiefdoms within the Copper belt province and held private talks with them.

ZANIS

Malole Member of Parliament Emmanuel Munaile has observed that Mungwi district has not benefited much from the poverty reduction programmes (PRP).

Mr. Munaile says apart from the newly funded construction of Ngulula canal, most communities have not benefited from such programmes in a long time.

The Parliamentarian told heads of government departments in Mungwi yesterday that there was need for them to assist the community come –up with poverty reduction programmes such as construction of markets in areas where business was booming.

He further observed that poverty reduction activities should be given priority if the district was to develop.

He said for people to participate in various sectors of the economy there is need for the government to provide an enabling environment such as making sure that the roads were in a better condition.

Mr. Munaile has however bemoaned the poor maintenance of Nseluka/Kayambi road by Pubuta Investment.

And Mr. Munaile has bemoaned the inadequate funding that some of the government departments were receiving in the district.

Mr. Munaile said it was unfortunate some government departments were receiving as little as K100, 000 as departmental recurrent charges.

He said it would be difficult for such departments to efficiently and effectively carry -out government programmes.

The MP said however that there was need for more funding in agriculture for disease control and construction of dip tanks across the district.

ZANIS

The ruling MMD Kasama Central Constituency chairperson Nathan Ilunga says the ruling party risks going into extinction if it continues pretending that all was well.

Mr. Ilunga has however commended MMD acting spokesperson Mike Mulongoti for being sincere when he ( Mr. Mulongoti ) observed that the ruling party lost both the Kasama and Solwezi central constituency by-elections because of losing touch with the glass root.

The MMD official said this in a release to ZANIS in Kasama today. He added that he fully agrees with the statement by Mr Mulongoti in which he observed that the party has lost touch with the glass root.

Mr Ilunga said the shortcomings in the ruling party were there for all to see and warned that if not addressed, the party should forget about being in power beyond 2011.

He alleged that party structures started dying out during the reign of the late President Levy Mwanawasa as he never funded them.

Mr Ilunga added that had it not been for the personal sacrifice by MMD Provincial Chairperson Griever Sikasote who has funded most party activities in the province, there could be no party at all in the region.

And Mr Ilunga has said President Rupiah Banda should not be judged based on the late Mwanawasa’s legacy as he had his own individual vision.

Mr Ilunga further claimed that MMD founding members were enduring a lot of frustrations as the party has diverted from its original ideals enshrined both in the manifesto and constitution.

Recently MMD acting spokesperson Mike Mulongoti was quoted as having said the loose in the Kasama and Solwezi central by elections was as a result of having lost touch with the grass root.

ZANIS

MMD acting spokesperson Mike Mulongoti says Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata should be ashamed to demand the removal of Mr Mchenga when he is a beneficiary of his services.

Mr Mulongoti said a number of Mr Sata’s cases have in the past been dropped by the DPP.
He said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday in reaction to continued calls for the DPP to resign.

“The DPP has exercised his independent discretion to drop cases in the past and Mr Sata himself has been a beneficiary. How can he (Sata) forget easily and start accusing Mr Mchenga of being biased when he has used his mandate to set him (Sata) free.

“These same constitutional office holders whom the opposition and in particular Mr Sata is accusing of all sorts of things will be there if they, God forbid, find themselves in Government. They should not look at us as evil people,” he said.

Mr Mulongoti said the opposition should desist from intimidating professionals like Mr Mchenga because they might in future shun taking up positions in Government.
He said professionals should be protected and allowed to safeguard the interests of all Zambians.

“Some of the people calling for the resignation of the DPP are not even educated, yet they want our professionals to resign. My question to them is if professionals resign, who is going to replace them?[quote]

“You see, we should appreciate these professionals because if we try to give flimsy excuses in an effort to chase them from their offices, they might in future refuse to join Government service due to the politics surrounding the positions,” Mr Mulongoti said.

On Sunday, Mr Kunda said the accusations against constitutional office holders by the opposition are in an effort to weaken Government.
He said the scheme to remove constitutional office holders is against the penal code and that it is a treasonable act.

Mr Kunda said this when he featured on a Radio Phoenix programme, ‘Government and You’.
He said Government will not allow the scheme to work because it is recipe for anarchy in the country.
Mr Kunda said constitutional office holders can only be removed through a tribunal.

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha has challenged All People’s Congress (APC) party president Ken Ngondo to provide evidence which will link Vice-President George Kunda and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chalwe Mchenga to any act of corruption in the Judiciary.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said Mr Ngondo has no basis to demand the resignation of Mr Kunda and Mr Mchenga.

Gen. Shikapwasha was commenting on a story that appeared in yesterday’s edition of The Post Newspaper attributed to Mr Ngondo, who is demanding the resignation of Mr Kunda and Mr Mchenga.
He said in an interview yesterday in Lusaka that Mr Ngondo should stop making unwarranted allegations which he cannot prove.

Gen. Shikapwasha said since Mr Ngondo has decided to talk about the alleged rot that exists in the Judiciary, he must also state whether the acquittal of Post Newspaper News Editor Chansa Kabwela is an act of corruption.

Mr Ngondo was quoted as having said that he supports The Post newspaper’s editorial policy.
“Zambia has an independent Judiciary. If Mr Ngondo thinks the Judiciary is corrupt, he must lay the evidence for us to see, otherwise, he must desist from making unwarranted statements in the media,” Gen. Shikapwasha said.

He said as a leader, Mr Ngondo has no right to demean Mr Kunda as reported in The Post Newspaper.[quote]
Gen.Shikapwasha said Mr Ngondo must respect elected leaders just as he would like to be respected if he were in the same position.

But when contacted, Mr Ngondo claimed he has evidence to prove that the Judiciary and some government ministers are allegedly corrupt.He said he will soon hold a press conference to prove his allegations.

On his lack of respect for Mr Kunda, Mr Ngondo said he had great respect for the Vice-President but he has come to realise that the respect is not mutual.

“Mr Kunda has no respect for me. He referred to my party on national media as ‘Mr Ngondo’s party’. My party is called All People’s Congress Party and he must refer to it as such,” he said.

[ Zambia Daily Mail]

KAFULAFUTA Member of Parliament(MP) George Mpombo has called for reconciliation in the MMD in readiness for 2011 elections.

Mr Mpombo said in Ndola yesterday that time to quarrel should now be over and that there was need for the leaders in the party to take a reconciliatory path in readiness for the 2011 tripartite elections.

But MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande said the party had never differed with Mr Mpombo and that it was his statements that portrayed a picture that there were differences between him and the MMD.
He said time had come for the healing process to commence and give another chance to the members in the spirit of charting the way forward.

Mr Mpombo, who recently has been issuing statements against the party and its leadership, said the mistakes had been made but that now was the time to sit down and find the way forward for the party.

He said people like MMD chairperson for elections, Mike Mulongoti should by now know that time was running out before the 2011 elections and should be the one to promote reconciliation in the party.

“Mistakes have been made, differences have been there but time has now come for us to sit down and chart the way forward for the party,” said Mr Mpombo who declared himself ready for reconciliation if called upon.

Mr Mpombo wondered where the party trustees were to help reconcile the MMD members whenever differences arose.

He said the MMD was still a strong party and that the party leadership would make history to hold a reconciliatory meeting at which the party would be put together before 2011.

But Mr Kaande said no specific person in the party had differed with Mr Mpombo and advised him to instead take a reconciliatory path before it was too late.

[Times of Zambia]