By Arthur Teleshi
Mining is a very big industry in Zambia and it has the potential to give birth to other industries that support the main mining activities.
I want us to talk about the Nchanga Open Pit Mine, not only does it have the potential, it also has the capacity to give birth to other supporting industries.
It’s unacceptable that from the time our mines started operating in the 1950’s, Chingola doesn’t have many factories manufacturing drill tools, bolts and nuts, welding electrodes, cutting and grinding discs, safety gear, electric cables and many other mining consumables.
Those manufacturing industries which manufacture consumables used in the mines on a daily basis should have been present in Chingola by now.
This would have reduced cost of production for the mines as well as create more employment and more business opportunities.
From the time the mines started operations in Chingola industrial growth has remained stunted.
As a Candidate for Member of Parliament for Nchanga and an agent of development for the government, this is what it means when l say job creation through industrialization and this is what l’ll tirelessly work on to achieve when l get to Parliament.
Apart from legislation, I will lobby for industries to be set up right here in Chingola as opposed to importing mining consumables from China, South Africa, Germany and other countries.
We’ll send our youths and women for training in manufacturing those mining consumables and subsequently lobby for those industries to be set up here so that we create more employment.
It’s not only our local mines who will consume these products, even our neighboring countries, so our forex will also improve.
In order to achieve fair skills and capital transfer and securing our forex, at the same time avoiding externalization of profits like we are currently seeing with foreign companies operating in Zambia, the industries to be set up here will partner with locals where locals will also have controlling shares to the same.
We have the land, we have the raw materials and most importantly we have the human resource in abundance to achieve this industrialization drive.
Suppliers and contractors who scramble for business opportunities will also be taken care of as a rise in industries will also give rise to business opportunities.
The writer is contesting the Nchanga parliamentary seat as Independent candidate.
