Copperbelt Job Losses Cause Controversy

Two opposition parties on the Copperbelt - the United National Independence Party (UNIP) and United Party for National Development (UPND) have said planned demonstrations over job losses by the Patriotic Front (PF) will not offer a solution to the problems.

UNIP Copperbelt provincial information and publicity secretary, Brian Chishimba said maturity and being levelheaded was important during this difficult time the country was going through. He said the planned demonstrations over job losses in the mining industry would not yield desirable results and might just create confusion in the country.

Mr Chishimba said job losses in the mining industry were as a result of the global economic recession and it would be unfair to heap blame on the Government instead of working together to reduce job losses in the mining companies. He said in an interview in Kitwe that it was unfortunate that some politicians had resorted to politicising the job losses in the mining industry and were even issuing statements aimed at inciting people to rise against the Government.

“As UNIP on the Copperbelt, we sympathise with those who are losing jobs in the mining industry, but of course we do not support the PF planned demonstrations over the matter because we believe that the issue should be handled in a mature and levelheaded manner. Our view is to seriously engage Government on the issue so that we see how we can move the way forward. As you know, this issue is a global thing and it is difficult to effectively mitigate, but the Government should play a crucial role in this issue,” Mr Chishimba said.

And UPND Copperbelt provincial chairman, Elisha Matambo said his party would handle the issue in a mature manner and that party president, Hakainde Hichilema would soon meet the retrenched miners on the Copperbelt to chart the way forward. He said while he could not condemn PF over their intended demonstrations over job losses in the mining industry, UPND would handle the matter in a more mature way as opposed to demonstrations.

“We can’t condemn PF over their intention to demonstrate over job losses in the mining industry because they have their rights to demonstrate, but UPND will deal with this issue in a mature way. Our president will come and meet the retrenched miners so that we can see the way forward,” Mr Matambo said.

Meanwhile, MMD provincial vice-chairman, Jerry Mukonkela said it was unrealistic for PF to resort to demonstrations over job losses in the mining industry when they had never suggested any measures that would help reduce the job losses in the mining industry. He said PF should prove that it was a responsible and genuine opposition political party by engaging the Government on real issues that would help the country move forward instead of holding demonstrations that may not yield desirable results for the country. He said it was unfortunate that some politicians and clergymen were trying to gain political mileage out of the effects of the global economic recession.

Copperbelt PF provincial chairperson, Mwenya Musenge said his party had notified the police about the planned demonstrations and would proceed with it even if there was no response. He said as far as the PF was concerned, the law had been followed in arranging for the demonstration.