Lusambo ticked off over Bushiri mine threats

Mon, 22 May 2017 13:22:33 +0000

By MAILESI BANDA

INVESTMENT in the emerald sector is hard to come by, hence the threats by the Copperbelt provincial minister to revoke the emeralds mine license issued to Malawian prophet and businessman Shepard Bushiri should be condemned, says the Emeralds and Semi-precious Stones Association of Zambia (ESMAZ). Victor Kalesha has said.

Mr. Kalesha said the minister’s threats to close the mine closure were detrimental to economic growth, adding that the minister had no capacity to attract any investment because he was attacking investors that were helping in the development of the sector.

He said this was the second time the minister was attacking an investor in the emerald industry, adding that it was unfortunate that he was combining politics with business.

“It is unfortunate that Mr Lusambo always makes his statements without getting facts straight. The first time he attacked Kagem without understanding what was prevailing on the ground and now he is threatening an investor putting at risk the lives of many Zambians who would have benefitted from the taxes from the production of the mine as well as the much desired job creation,“ he said.

 Mr Kalesha said the minister was not aware that the license he was threatening to withdraw belonged to Zambians and Mr Bushiri was just an investor.

 “It does not mean that if you are Copperbelt minister then you are at liberty to get involved in chasing away investors. As president for the Emerald Association of Zambia I am very disappointed with the minister whose main preoccupation is to wrongly impress the President other than creating a developmental agenda for the benefit of the nation,“ he said.

Mr Kalesha said he found the attacks on the investors baseless and a hindrance to the growth of the economy and the emeralds sector.