TAME YOUR TONGUE, CHIPIMO TOLD
By LINDA SOKO TEMBO NATIONAL Restoration Party (NAREP) president Elias Chipimo should tame his tongue over the issue of the “Black Mountain” in Kitwe, says Small-Scale Miners Association (SSMA) board member Mkwapatila Tembo.
Mr Tembo said it was a shame that the NAREP president had decided to attack President Lungu for giving 10 percent of the slag to SSMA formerly known as the Jerabos.
In a statement to the Daily Nation yesterday, Mr Tembo said the opposition leader’s unwarranted attacks on President Lungu were a big shame.
He said that the learned senior counsel who was aspiring for State House had failed to understand the importance of the empowerment scheme which the many opposition political parties had tried to use as a trump card on the Copperbelt.
“Mr Chipimo’s level of ignorance over the Black Mountain has not only exposed his selfishness but has also proved that he is not a person who can make a good leader and later on lead this great nation of Zambia,
“The man does not have the best interest of the people of Zambia at heart,” Mr Tembo said. He urged Mr Chipimo to tone down on his unsubstantiated comments on the issue, adding that instead he should find ways to provide constructive checks and balances on matters of national interest.
Mr Tembo questioned how Mr Chipimo could criticise the important empowerment move by the government.
He appealed to the small-scale miners to ignore Mr Chipimo’s statement and endeavour to make their mining activities safe as they were no longer considered as illegal miners.
Mr Tembo thanked President Lungu for giving them back the “Black Mountain” and the 10 percent to the community as that would create employment and business opportunities for youths.
Last week, Mr Chipimo demanded that President Lungu should come clean over the handing over of 10 percent of the “Black Mountain” to the Jerabos.