KAMBWILI CRIES FOR JERABOS, DEBT SWAP
By CHARLES MUSONDA
FORMER National Democratic Congress (NDC) president Chishimba Kambwili has appealed to Mines minister Paul Kabuswe to rescind his decision of suspending mining activities at all dumpsites popularly known as black mountains.
And Mr. Kambwili has called on the UPND government to restore debt swap for all civil servants.
On Wednesday this week Mr. Kabuswe announced suspension of the mining activities by small scale miners commonly known as Jerabos until there is sanity in their operations.
Speaking to journalists in Lusaka yesterday, Mr. Kambwili said the minister’s decision is wrong because unemployed youths and women on the Copperbelt scavenge for copper ore from disused pits and dump sites that were left by ZCCM a long time ago because in the 1970s and 1980s there was no mechanism to reclaim copper ore from the refuse.
“Surely if you are a government that love the people you cannot do what Mr. Kabuswe has done. It is killing the people, it is unfair to the poor people. Those youths in Kitwe, Chingola, and Luanshya have been sent into destitution.
“The direction that this government has taken is wrong and I would urge President Hakainde Hichilema that in as much as he would want to settle, don’t make decisions that are unfair to people. Leave those youths to continue scrounging and getting that copper ore to sell,” Mr. Kambwili said.
He advised the UPND government not to make a mistake the MMD government made by doing away with everything first President the late Dr. Kenneth Kaunda did in the name of making him look bad.
“You should be considerate because this government came into the office on the promise of creating jobs and making people’s living standards better. What is it that you are doing to take away an income from poor people and youths on the Copperbelt?
“Surely even if you have bad hearts or you want to punish people, you just come into government then you just wake up and say we have suspended small scale mining. My bother Kabuswe you are from Chililabombwe and you see how those young men called Jerabos suffer just to scrounge for copper ore so that they sell and survive,” Mr. Kambwili said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kambwili says the PF government introduced debt swap for civil servants for a good reason but the UPND has suspended it barely a month in office without considering the plight of beneficiaries.
He said civil servants had suffered for a long time and he is now vindicated because he told them that there was no way the new government will increase their salaries by K1,500 across the board because there is no money.
“Now even debt swap you to take it away from them sure. Leave civil servants like police officers because they helped you. Look at the votes UPND got in police camps and teachers’ compounds, how can you do such a thing to them barely one month in office?”
