By ROGERS KALERO
THE Ministry of Labour and Social Security together with the Ministry of Mines must step up inspections in the Emerald area of Lufwanyama to get rid of crooks and ensure that Zambians benefit from the emeralds,” the Emerald Watch Production of Zambia (EWPZ) has said.
EWPZ President Musa Kafimbwa said for a long a time now, crooks in the Emerald Industry especially in Lufwanyama have been hiding in the name of investors and are also bringing foreigners from West Africa to come and do jobs which can be done by Zambians, thereby depriving local people of employment.
In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Kafimbwa said the ‘New Dawn’ government of President Hakainde Hichilema must work hard to bring sanity in the Emerald Industry by getting rid of crooks and ensuring that jobs which can be done by Zambians are not given to foreigners.
“As EWPZ, we have confidence in the New Dawn government of President Hichilema that it can bring sanity in the Emerald Industry. We believe the first step should be to intensify inspections in the sector to get rid of crooks and ensure that Zambians benefit from the emeralds.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security together with the Ministry of Mines must step up inspections in the Emerald area of Lufwanyama where criminality of all kinds was taking place,” Mr Kafimbwa said
Mr Kafimbwa said some crooked individuals calling themselves investors were making a lot of money while those foreigners whom they were bringing in the country to work in their companies were getting 10 times more than the Zambians.
Mr Kafimbwa said the ‘New Dawn’ government must ensure that there was sanity in the emerald industry so that Zambians can start benefiting from the emeralds as opposed to picking crumbs falling from the table.
Mr Kafimbwa has since appealed to Government to carry out an audit in the emerald mines to help deal with the challenges and problems where most of the foreigners were doing jobs that can be done by the local people.
He said most of the emerald mines have engaged foreigners to do jobs that can be done by local people which he said should not be that case.
“The country has skilled people that can take up most of the jobs being done by foreigners, especially from West Africa. There was need for jobs that can be done by local people to be reserved for the locals.
” The Mines minister should embark on a fact finding mission in the emeralds sector so that government can find a way of bringing sanity which include helping local people to benefit from the country’s minerals,” he said
He said companies have gone as far as paying foreigners more money on the jobs that can be executed by locals which should not be tolerated especially that locals receive less money.
Mr Kafimbwa said the organisation was concerned that the continued influx of foreigners in the emerald sector will leave most of the local people without any jobs.
