By JOHN SAKALA
Chingola Chamber of Commerce Trade and Industry President Freddie Musonda says Chingola needs investors with human face.
Speaking on The Independent Observer WhatsApp forum, Mr Musonda said the Chamber would prefer the buyer of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) to be like the miner operators of mines in Solwezi.
“We have suffered enough from the book rich investors that have no human face nor morality to appreciate the natural entitlement of the local community. We need a mine investor that will contribute to national development as a good responsible corporate. We need Solwezi like investors this time around.
“We trust the government shall do the right thing. We do not want closed house investors any more, we have paid enough with stunted development growth. With Chingola championing the vision 2020 of becoming a city, this strategic growth to city status with a year to go we are still below 30%,” he said.
Mr Musonda who is the proprietor of FS Musonda Trading said despite having Vedanta in the district, the business community was stressed by poor cash flow.
He said like the dream of Pharaoh of Egypt who dreamt of pamper harvest for seven years and another seven years of hunger in the famous dream of 7/7.
He said under the 7/7 dream Chingola and Chililabombwe is like Egypt.
“The copper resource that is being unmanaged should have triggered finance diversification for the next generation. We have very rich arable land around for the two towns to embark on fish, animal and crop farming with a lot of water flowing away.
“God strategically placed resources we need that they complement growth. So the copper mines for a change must trickle into our local diversification program,” he said.
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[20:44, 25/6/2019] Innocent Liambai: Okay but it’s better to have them they are Zambians also why discriminate against politicians?
[21:32, 25/6/2019] FS Musonda: In Chingola, we will like the buyer of KCM be like the miner operators of Solwezi. We have suffered enough from the book rich investors that have no human face nor morality to appreciate the natural entitlement of the local community nor neither contribute to national development as a good responsible corporate. We need Solwezi like investors this time around. We trust the government shall do the right thing. We do not want closed house investors any more, we have paid enough with stunted develoment growth. On Chingola strategic growth to city status with a year to go we are still still below 30%. The business community stressed by poor cash flow.
[22:03, 25/6/2019] Lucy Manda: ? totally agree. This is a great opportunity to finaly get it right. I pray whoever will be on the negotiation tables has the moral obligation to want to do something right for the next generation and the generation after..lets not get deals where we look back 5 years down the road and say we should have negotiated better…with painful experience of all the raw deals enganged in so far…we should close a deal worthy for zambia.
[22:05, 25/6/2019] FS Musonda: As per Pharaohs dream of 7 / 7 is Chingola / Chililabombwe is like Egypt. The Copper resource that is being unmanaged to trigger finance diversification for the next generation, our youths. We have very rich arable land around the two towns for fish, animal and crop farming with a lot of water flowing away. This God strategically placed resources we need that they compliment growth. So the Copper mines for a change must trickle into our local diversification program.
[19:47, 25/6/2019] Paul Kasonde: We have failed to control the Chinese operating at MMS/NFCA Chambishi to an extent where they have a whole administration made up of Chinese. Their door signs are marked in Chinese. They have stopped dealing with Zambian contractors and are buying from themselves or straight from China. What then is the benefit for Zambia of having such investors? The situation is not different in almost all their investments…including roads. This is where our fear is coming from when we exclaim CHINESE ARE NOT WELCOME! We fear that the Govt is not protecting us. I do agree with you, IT’S ALL OUR FAULT!
[19:37, 25/6/2019] Peart Siwale Geologist: You are right sir. Self respect demands it. I think it’s not good to make trite comments about the Chinese vis a vis KCM. If we don’t get a good deal from Chinese or anyone else it will be
our fault. The Chinese have been our all weather friends. Westerners said Tazara couldn’t be built. That Tazara isn’t performing well is our fault. The late Chou en Lai and Deng Xiaoping were my heroes. Great leaders. Let’s emulate their leadership.
