LET LUNGU CLEAN UP PRIVATISATION MESS, SAYS PROF NKANDU LUO

RESIDENT Edgar Lungu must be given another term so that he can continue to clean up the mess caused by the reckless privatisation of companies which left many people wallowing in poverty as a result of job losses,” President Edgar Lungu’s running mate Nkandu Luo has said. Professor Luo said President Lungu had already indicated his intentions to clean up the mess caused by the reckless privatisation of companies by empowering Zambians to run the giant mining companies like Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) and Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) despite criticism from his political rivals. Prof Luo was speaking at Garden  Court Hotel in Kitwe during an interaction with church leaders and other stakeholders ahead of today’s general election. She said, apart from giving Zambians to run the mines, President Lungu had also promised to revive all parastatal companies which were privatised by some businessmen and left many Zambians jobless. “This is why President Lungu deserves another term to clean up the mess caused by the reckless privatisation of companies which left many people wallowing in poverty as a result of job losses. “It is unfortunate that while President Lungu is trying to clean up the mess created by the reckless privatisation, some of those seeking to form government are busy talking to some exploitative investors like Vedanta PLC which almost run down KCM,” Prof Luo said. She said UPND leaders were desperate to form government so that they start using public resources to settle huge personal debts which they have accrued in the more than 15 years they have contested and lost elections. And speaking earlier, President Lungu’s  campaign manager Given Lubinda said the  UPND  manifesto was an embarrassment to the political party, which claimed to be ready to form a government . Mr Lubinda said the UPND manifesto did not meet the standards of a political party ready to form government and advised Zambians to compare the manifesto of the PF and that of the UPND, together with the PF candidates and those of the UPND. By ROGERS KALERO