Zambians should be given opportunity to own mines
By Staff Reporter
All Peoples Congress Leader Nason Msoni says President Edgar Lungu’s directive to Mines Minister Richard Musukwa to withdraw mining licenses for dormant mines is misdirected, misconceived and aimed at grabbing mines from Zambians and giving them to foreigners.
Msoni said that the actions of the PF Government are shocking and tailored to disadvantage the locals.
“It is common sense that mining is an intensive capital investment venture requiring partners and strategic business alliances that usually take time to build adding that Mining requires technical support and many other specialised operations,” he said.
Msoni said the role of any sensible government should be to support the growth of local entrepreneurs in mining by encouraging more citizens to participate in the sector.
He said his party expects the minister of mines to advise the President to refrain from making knee-jerk decisions and directives that have the effect of undermining investment in mining.
Msoni has reminded the PF Government that the KCM saga has had a terrible bashing on the country’s mining investment opportunities internationally and President Lungu’s directive gives criminals an opportunity to take advantage and deprive Zambians mining licenses.
He has since urged the Minister of Mines not to get excited but exercise sobriety and level headedness in executing such misplaced calculated directive.
“Zambians deserve to own Mines and must be given the opportunity to source for funding,” he said.
