ZCTU INITIATES CAMPAIGN FOR ZAMBIA’S DEBT RELIEF

WEare going to campaign for the country’s debt relief in partnership with institutions that have shown willingness to join the fight, the Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) has said.

ZCTU General Secretary, Cosmas Mukuka, said the congress was prepared to join various organisations in pushing for the country's debt relief in the same way they joined efforts in ensuring that Zambia reached the HIPC Completion Point.

Mr Mukuka said in an interview that the ZCTU was already engaging institutions that intended to join the campaign to help Government fight for the debt relief.

He said now was not the time for unwarranted attacks on Government, but it was time to join efforts in persuading the creditors to give the country a debt relief.

“This we did even at the time of HIPC completion, even at that time of debt relief when we joined the church and others, so we have started to approach the institutions joining the campaign, just as we did at first.”

Mr Mukuka explained that ZCTU and the various institutions as a consortium would campaign for debt relief by putting across a strong case for Zambia.

He called for combined efforts from various stakeholders in campaigning for Zambia’s debt relief to bring the economy back on track.

“We need to concentrate on building Zambia, looking at what is confronting Zambia, the debt burden. The Covid-19 has hit us badly and the government didn’t plan for it so let us not attack the government but help in resolving the debt burden,” Mr Mukuka said.