By ROGERS KALERO
THE UPND and its consortium management at the Black Mountain must find a solution to the continuous riots by the Chrome or Hand Pickers to avoid innocent motorists being caught up in a cross-fire and having their vehicles damaged, the Patriotic Front (PF) has advised.
PF Copperbelt Media Director Munalula Moola said it was unfair to the motorists to have their vehicles damaged by Chrome Pickers from behind the Show grounds because the consortium management at the Black Mountain had failed to find a solution to the continuous riots.
On Monday evening, a number of vehicles had their window screens shattered near the 16-Feet flyover bridge when Chrome Pickers ran amok after the Black Mountain consortium management delayed to deliver the material at their site behind the Copperbelt Show grounds.
The irate Chrome Pickers got fed up of waiting for the material from the Black Mountain from morning up to evening, forcing them to block the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriage-way before they ran amok and started throwing stones on vehicles getting in and out of the Kitwe Central Business District.
In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Moola said it was unfortunate and disappointing that for a long time now, Chrome or Hand Pickers have been rioting over a number of things which the management at the Black Mountain has failed to address due to its arrogance and selfishness.
Mr Moola said the conduct of those running the Black Mountain has clearly shown that it has no regard for any one, let alone, the Chrome Pickers whom they pushed away from the site so that they can properly benefit themselves.
“If the consortium management at the Black Mountain had regard for those young boys, I mean the Chrome Pickers, they would have found a solution to their concerns and put a stop to the riots. You cannot have riots at the Black Mountain almost every week.
“No, something must be terribly wrong with those providing leadership at the site. It appears their only interest is to make money for themselves. They do not care about the damage which the Chrome or Hand Pickers will cause when they riot. If they cared, they would have found a solutions to those riots. It is greediness of the worst order,’’ Mr Moola said.
