Repossession of Kawambwa Tea cheers OSF

By Staff Reporter 

President Edgar Lungu's announcement regarding the repossession of Kawambwa Tea Plantation has pleased Zambia Open Society Foundation. 

Executive Director, Obbious Chikombola says Open Society foundation is greatly enlightened by the president’s announcement on the repossession of Kawambwa tea plantation. 

“We feel this has been long overdue. Kawambwa Tea is hardly seen on the shelves of super market and stores, people have been subjected to long period of unemployment and non-payment of salaries,” he says. 

Mr Chikombola explains that companies such as Kawambwa Tea, Kapiri Glass Factory and Mulungushi Textile occupies a special position in restoring dignity to the local people especially the youths adding that the government should scrutinize investors at Mulungushi Textile and review their seriousness to invest in the country otherwise, the company should also be nationalized.

Mr Chikombola alleges that it is easy for the republican president to make pronouncements at gathering and ceremonies but what happens thereafter is business as usual. 

“For instance, the mushrooming of Shopping malls will indeed add beauty to our land but the real purpose is that they should encourage and promote employment for the local people by giving shelve space to the Zambian products,” he says. 

Mr Chikombola says OSF is calling on the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industries to implement the presidential directives. 

“Otherwise we shall continue creating jobs outside,” he says. 

He further says Open Society Foundation is appealing to government to consider introducing a policy that will compel raw material exporting companies to receipt 40% of their proceeds into this country in an effort to improve the strength of the kwacha. 

“This is so because for so long our productivity and the country’s ability to produce various goods has been reflected in the countries where such produces are receipted and thus we have made foreign currency stronger than ours,” Mr Chikombola explains. 

He stresses that Open Society foundation is further calling on government to look into the plight of the miners in the country. 

“Mining firms fought tooth and nail to have the Mining tax system changed to improve their profitability,” Mr Chikombola highlights. 

Mr Chikombola notes that young men and women who brave the underground pit to run the economy of this nation, too deserve a compensatory award alleging also mining firms have not improved their salaries and condition of services and let alone the questionable safety conditions that they are subjected to work under. 

“We employ the government through Mine workers union of Zambia to look into the plight of the miners, we cannot afford to continue loosing the young lives in this manner,” he says.