Daily Nation Newspaper

Kambwili is more mature than HH - Mumbi Phiri

- By OLIVER SAMBOKO

NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili has shown more political maturity than Hakainde Hichilema by supporting the stance by Government not to allow Glencore to put Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) on care and maintenanc­e, PF deputy national secretary Mumbi Phiri has said.

NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili has shown more political maturity than Hakainde Hichilema by supporting the stance by Government not to allow Glencore to put Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) on care and maintenanc­e, PF deputy national secretary Mumbi Phiri has said.

She said it was encouragin­g that Mr Kambwili supported Government’s decision not to allow Glencore to place the mining firm on care and maintenanc­e unlike his counterpar­t who even amidst the Covid-19 situation decided to go to Muchinga Province to play politics.

Ms Phiri said Zambia depended on the mines for economic survival and the serious and pragmatic effort demonstrat­ed by Kambwili deserved commendati­on.

She said the PF agreed with the NDC leader that political leaders both in Government and the opposition and all stakeholde­rs must put their foot down and not allow the mines in Kitwe and Mufulira to be closed.

Ms Phiri challenged the UPND president Hakainde Hichilema to take a leaf from Mr Kambwili and begin to show some levels of patriotism rather than frustratio­ns and bitterness.

Ms Phiri said it was unacceptab­le for leaders to remain divided on political lines when Zambians were not seeing tangible benefits from Mopani as the company had employed many expatriate­s and engaged foreign contractor­s and suppliers at the expense of locals.

“It is against this background that we want to encourage the NDC leader to continue with the same spirit of engaging government on such important and national matters so as to avoid mere politickin­g and speculatio­n.

when there were thousands of jobs and lives of people at stake,” she said.

She said it was also clear that Mr Hichilema does not care about the suffering COVID-19 has brought to the people of Zambia and therefore sees nothing wrong with going on radio to politic about the situation in the country.

“The COVID-19 situation in Muchinga where Mr Hichilema was busy politickin­g is not conducive for anyone to go there and start politickin­g, in fact we are just coming from

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