By NATION REPORTER
GOVERNMENT has been challenged to withdraw the provisional liquidator at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) as well as informing the nation how far they have gone in giving back the mine to the legal owners Vedanta Resources.
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Zambians for Unity Peace and Development (ZUPED) president, Ronnie Jere, said the people are not too sure as to what is happening and feel Government should come out in the open to tell the nation why the provisional liquidator is still at KCM.
Mr Jere said after the shareholders agreement and implementation agreement were signed, this was only going to take a few weeks before the nation sees Vedanta taking over as well as appointing board of directors, management and all structures put in place.
“By now, we should have a few things remaining before Vedanta Resources could have taken over the firm. We ask Government to give us a status quo as to what is happening to Konkola Copper Mines.
“We the Zambians for Unity Peace and Development are convinced that the three month’s period that the government gave itself to finalise the transition process to handover Konkola Copper Mines plc back to Vedanta Resources is relapsing without making any progress.
We are worried that the status quo remains the same as it was in September when the documents were signed. We know that in September Mr Paul Kabuswe gathered the media and other stakeholders to witness the signing of the shareholders agreement and implementation agreement signed by Vedanta and KCM but since then the status quo remains the same,” he said.
Mr Jere said the provisional liquidator is still stationed at KCM because those documents that were signed have not been registered in the courts.
“We are still wondering why Government has decided to drag their feet even when the miners are downing their tools, complaining and protesting, contractors and suppliers are demanding for their monies back because they are owed by KCM huge sums of money.
Even when we are seeing people of the Copperbelt agitated and complaining about this transition process that it has taken too much time, Government has decided to continue to have the provisional liquidator at KCM,” Mr Jere added.
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