‘GOVT EAGER TO ADDRESS MINERS’ CHALLENGES’

By RODERS KALERO                                      THE decision by Vice President Inonge Wina to meet ex-miners and other stakeholders during her visit to Kitwe was a clear indication that the Patriotic Front (PF)  government was eager to engage stakeholders to mitigate various challenges and problems facing the country in the midst of the Covid-19 and other global factors,” PF Kantanshi parliamentary candidate Anthony Mumba has said. Mr Mumba said the PF government had demonstrated that it was caring and sensitive by engaging the ex-miners and other stakeholders so that they could explain what challenges they were facing and how the government could help them to set the stage for recovery and development. In an interview after Ms Wina and her entourage met the ex-miners and the Ex miners for President Edgar Lungu at Garden Court Hotel, Mr Mumba said he was hopeful that the government would look into their concerns so that they could boost their agricultural production. “In times of difficulties, in times of challenges, caring governments will always meet stakeholders on how best they can move together. So, as PF parliamentary candidate for Kantanshi constituency, where most of the Ex miners and Ex miners for President Lungu came from, I must say I am grateful that the republican Vice President met these two groups. “Zambians must not be misled, the economic challenges we are facing here are not unique to Zambia but it is to the whole world.  The best thing is to find ways of mitigating the effects of these global factors which include Covid-19. This is why Government is encouraging the increase in production in various areas especially in agriculture,” Mr Mumba said. And speaking earlier, representatives of Ex miners for President Lungu Steve Mulenga said they were grateful that the PF government had given them land for agricultural purposes and were now asking to be given their own farm input empowerment initiative different from the Farmer Input Support Programme. Mr Mulenga said the Ex miners for President Lungu would continue to remain and support the PF government because it had saved the jobs of fellow miners. “As ex miners, we need the support of the government as we engage in agriculture. Some of us, we can’t go back to work because we are old,” he said. Last week, during  the tour of the Copperbelt, the Vice President meet various stakeholders which included the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ), Bus and Taxis Drivers, marketeers and traders, mine suppliers and contractors, chamber of commerce and university and college student unions.