By NATION REPORTER
SOCIALIST Party Copperbelt spokesperson Reagan Kashinga has warned that failure to manage the mining sector properly on the Copperbelt will cost the UPND in 2026.
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Reflecting on 2023, Mr. Kashinga said the new dawn administration was playing mind games with the people on the Copperbelt by delaying to revive Mopani and Konkola Copper Mines.
He said Government pronouncements that it found investors for Mopani and KCM are vague because nothing has changed about the two sleeping mining giants.
Mr. Kashinga said the UPND Government has proved to be full of empty words without action as it has failed to lower the cost of living and to strengthen the Kwacha.
“Fellow Zambians as we begin the New Year 2024, allow me to look back at the ended year 2023. I am very sure that all Zambians will agree with me that 2023 was a difficult year. Many Zambians struggled to access basic needs such as food, shelter and water.
In 2023, we witnessed the skyrocketing of prices for essential commodities such as mealie meal, fuel and electricity thereby pushing the cost of living to unprecedented high levels. This is a year we want to quickly forget because it pushed many Zambians into misery.
We saw little efforts from the government regarding policy change to lower the cost of living. The cost of fertiliser remained high with a 50 kg bag fetching nearly K1, 000,” Mr. Kashinga said.
He predicted that 2024 will be another hard year for Zambians if the government does not implement policies that favour ordinary citizens.
“It is in 2023, when we witnessed the violent removal of our people, the vendors from streets without regard for human dignity. In case the UPND government is not aware, the removal of vendors worsened unemployment levels and sent many families into suffering. Government policies must be seen benefitting citizens and not just friends of the government, especially foreigners,” he said.
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