By Isaac Zulu
President Hakainde Hichilema has described the high mealie meal prices as sabotage.
And President Hichilema has said that the UPND government is committed to bringing life back to the mining sector
Featuring on Ndola’s SUN FM Radio and TV special programme today, one of the caller raised concern with the exorbitantly high prices of the staple food, mealie meal, with President Hichilema saying that the prices were extortional as the administration through the Food Reserve Agency recently offloaded maize to the millers.
“Mealie meal prices must go down following government’s intervention by offloading maize through FRA. Some prices are becoming extortional. And that becomes sabotage,” President Hichilema said.
The Head of State said that he will be interacting with people in communities in order for him to appreciate and understand the challenges that they are facing.
“I want to be interacting with the grassroots. So please ntwaleni ku bantu. If you don’t do that, nkaya neka,” said President Hichilema.
President Hichilema justified the frequent international trips that he has been making – something he viciously condemned his predecessors most notably late Rupiah Banda and Edgar Lungu for doing – saying they have started bearing fruits, and he will prove to his armchair critics that he is not an absentee President.
He said that the UPND administration has found money to go towards revamping operations at Mopani Copper Mines, Lubambe Mine and Kasenseli Gold Mine; among other mining companies.
The Head of State said that Mopani Copper Mines will become fully operational within the first quarter of this year just like the processing of cobalt at Chambeshi Metals.
“Our colleagues in opposition are saying that I am making unnecessary international trips. Ukubwatabwata fye (Just yapping). We have found the money to invest in the mining industry… billion of dollars. By the end of March we will make a definitive announcement to the nation,” President Hichilema said. “Within the first quarter of this year Mopani Copper Mines will be fully operational. Cobalt processing at Chambeshi Metals and Kasenseli Gold Mine have to start within this quarter. We are committed to bring life back to the mines. To bring them back to where they were and even beyond.”
He said that the challenges existing at Konkola Copper Mines were as a result of bad decisions by the Patriot Front government who placed the mining company under liquidation, “thereby bringing sufferings on innocent people that depend on mining companies for their livelihood.”
President Hichilema said that the UPND government has opted for an out of court settlement with Vedanta Mineral Resources, saying a lot of progress has been made regarding this matter.
He said that had ZCCM-IH and Vedanta Mineral Resources continued on the litigation route, it was going to take a decade to settle the matter.
“The problem was compounded by the bad decisions that were made by the Patriot Front government. But we decided to intelligently discuss this issue around the table… out of court,” President Hichilema said.
The Head of State assured miners, mine contractors and suppliers and the people of the Copperbelt Province, in general that economic fortunes that used to be seen when mining companies were run by ZCCM-IH will start being visible on the Copperbelt.
And Mines and Minerals Development Minister Paul Kabuswe said that, during negotiations with Vedanta Mineral Resources, the UPND government gave the mining company certain conditions regarding operations at KCM.
Kabuswe, who mostly spoke in Bemba for the benefit of residents of Copperbelt Province, said that among the conditions given to Vedanta Mineral Resources is sufficient financial capital and technical capabilities to sustain operations at Konkola Copper Mines.
“Twalibebelapo ati ifwe tatwaisa mukwangala (We told them that we have not come to play). Twalibeba ati tulefwaya ba investor abali nolupiya ulwakuchila ama operations ku KCM (We told them that we want an investor with the money to run KCM). And we also said that there should be a guarantee that there is going to be technical capabilities in the running of the mines,” said Kabuswe.
