By Isaac Zulu
Golden Party leader Jackson Silavwe has charged that the UPND administration wants to give Konkola Copper Mines back to Vendatta Resources.
In a statement, Silavwe has charged that the UPND administration has already concluded a deal with Vendatta Resources chairman Anil Agarwal, stating that all the UPND government is waiting for is an official announcement that Konkola Copper Mines has been retaken by Vendatta Resources.
Silavwe stated that the decision “allegedly” being taken by the UPND to give Konkola Copper Mines back to Vendatta Mineral Resources is repugnant.
“It has been brought to our attention that officials from Vendatta Resources, a company that formerly owned the mining giant Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) have been in the Country for sometime. That the new dawn government has already concluded a deal with Mr. Anil Agarwal the chairman of Vendatta Resources and just waiting to make the official announcement to retake KCM. We find this ‘deal’ quite repugnant for several reasons; This is the same company that declared a NO PROFIT from the time it bought KCM for a song until it was repossessed. The owner, Mr. Agarwal was boasting that KCM was giving him USD $500m to $1billion in profits per annum and yet Vendatta resources consistently declared loses to the government.”
He stated that Zambian mines should be run by the Zambian citizens “profitability” as opposed to a situation where foreign investors are making “maximum profits from the country’s mineral resources.”
“The mood amongst the majority Zambian’s now is that our mines should be run by Zambians on profitability not by foreigners.That Zambians will never get maximum benefits of having our mines in foreign hands other than deep holes in the ground. That Zambians will never benefit from foreign mining companies with the current mining tax regime that benefit foreign owners,” Silavwe stated.
The opposition political leader further stated that the foreign mining companies’ preoccupation has always been maximising on profits; as opposed to contributing to national development.
“Zambian workers collectively pay more taxes to government than foreign mines who are the country’s biggest exporters of raw materials. That foreign mining companies major preoccupation is profits for themselves not to contribute to the development of our country,” he stated further.
Silavwe also implored President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND administration to clearly stating its position on the future prospects of Konkola Copper Mines and Mopani Copper Mines.
“If President HH (Hakainde Hichilema) and his administration feel that our own people cannot run the mines let them SHUTDOWN and LEAVE them for the next generation to exploit the resources. We
request the new dawn administration in national interest to state it’s official position on the future of KCM and Mopani, respectively,” added Silavwe.
