MUZ PLEADS FOR BOOST IN MINING

By ROGERS KALERO ZCCM-IH should not be disbanded but must be given the impetus to run the mines effectively so that the profits can be retained in the country to benefit Zambians, the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) has said. MUZ President, Joseph Chewe, said most foreign investors in the mining industry had proved not to be honest when declaring profits hence it was time Zambians, through ZCCM-IH took over the running of the mines In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Chewe said Zambians had the capacity to run the mines as can be seen at Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) where the Zambian management led by Mr Charles Sakanya has projected to record a decade high profit of US$57 million profit this year from a US$40 million loss the previous year. He said the trend had been set at MCM and now it was time to spread to see how Zambians could effectively run their mines compared to the way foreign investors were running them. “We have seen how most foreign investors have behaved in the mines and we have seen that, in some cases, they have not been honest or truthful when it comes to declaring profits. This is why we want Zambians, through ZCCM-IH to run the mines. “We have seen that Zambians can run the mines as can be seen at MCM. So, we think ZCCM-IH should not be killed but should be given enough impetus to run the mines effectively so that the profits from the mines can be retained in the country to benefit Zambians,” Mr Chewe said. On Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Mr Chewe said the position of MUZ on Vedanta Plc had not changed because the Indian investor had run down the mine and reduced it to mere scrap metal dealing company. He said many of the employees were reduced to beggars because of the poor conditions of service when Vedanta ran KCM. “As MUZ, our position on Vedanta Plc has not changed. We will not entertain Vedanta Plc because it reduced the giant mining company into scrap metal. It closed Konkola and Nchanga mines. “It stopped producing concentrates but instead it started buying concentrates from other sources instead of doing serious mining to produce its own concentrates. That’s Vedanta Plc,” Mr Chewe said.