MINE SUPPLIERS DISOWN ‘IMPOSTER’
BWALYA
Mufonka is an ordinary member of the Association of Mine Suppliers and Contractors (AMSC) who should not use the organisation to pursue his political agenda, AMSC President Augustine Mubanga has said
Mr Mubanga said in Kitwe yesterday that Mr Mufonka had decided to dissolve his association to join AMSC where he had become an ordinary member and had since stopped to represent the interest of any suppliers and contractors on the Copperbelt or Northwestern provinces
Last week, Mr Mufonka was quoted in some sections of the media as saying Copperbelt Mine Suppliers and Contractors Association was shifting support from the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) to the United Party for National Development (UPND)
Mr Mufonka had told a media briefing in Lusaka that the dire economic straits was due to the PF’s poor economic management.
But Mr Mubanga said Mr Mufonka was at liberty to join UPND as an individual, but should not use the association to pursue his personal or political agenda.
Mr Mubanga said Mr Mufonka was an ordinary member of the AMSC who had no following, but wanted to create an impression that mine suppliers were behind him.
"We are not stopping him from joining any political party of his choice, but he should not use the fortunes of the association to pursue his personal and political agenda. If he has decided to join UPND , he should do it as an individual , not as AMSC
"AMSC is non-partisan, but works with the government of the day. Mufonka was the President of Copperbelt Mine Suppliers and Contractors Association, but he decided to dissolve it and joined AMSC, hence he does not represent any contractors or suppliers,'' Mr Mubanga explained.
He said if Mr Mufonka was popular, he should have held the media briefing on the Copperbelt so that people could see his following, but he decided to hold it in Lusaka.
Mr Mubanga said AMSC had been engaging the Ministry of Mines regarding the challenges the suppliers and contractors were facing and the two parties had come up with a ' local content.'
He said a 'local content' was aimed at ensuring that business opportunities were given to local contractors and suppliers, adding that it would further ensure that Zambians were empowered through local goods and services.
He said Minister of Mines Richard Musukwa would soon sign the Statutory Instrument (SI) of the Local Content to benefit the local contractors and suppliers.
"Yes, we have been having challenges regarding business in the mining industry, but as an association, we have been engaging Government on various issues and we have agreed to have a Local Content which will aim at benefiting the local contractors and suppliers,” he said.