Message Ven 5 Fév 2016 08:13

ZCCM-IH blow fortune on foreign junket

04 February 2016

Despite the global plunge in the copper price having a huge impact on the State owned company’s dwindling coffers, we have learnt that the ZCCM-IH has organised an extravagant and seemingly completely unnecessary trip to Cape Town next week for the annual Mining Indaba.



It has been reported to us that ZCCM-IH will be sending a total of eight representatives to the conference, a figure grossly higher than any of their Southern African counterparts.



The eight representatives will also be joined by an additional three members of the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, two members of the Association of Zambian Mineral Exploration and by Joseph Nonde, from the Zambia Revenue Authority, meaning the Government will be financing 14 individuals for the trip.



With an individual delegate ticket priced at almost K23,000, that is K184,000 on entrance tickets alone.



Once hotels, flights and per diem have also been accounted for we estimated the total cost to be in the region of K1,000,000 – the equivalent of 52 x the average GDP Per Capita, according to World Bank Figures, or 12,000 bags of Mealie meals.



In comparison, the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation will be sending just one delegate, as will the Tanzanian Chamber of Minerals and Energy.



Whilst we support Zambia being represented on the international stage, and recognise the opportunity attending the Mining Indaba represents, there should be no need for anyone beyond Chris Yaluma, our Minister of Mines, Energy and Water, and perhaps one additional civil servant to attend.



“The number of Zambians on the Government payroll attending, who have not been invited to speak or address an audience but instead to just mingle in Cape Town, is mind blowing especially when compared to our neighboring countries,” said a mining engineering student from the Copperbelt.



The number attending is also far higher than many of the largest mining companies in the world, including Anglo-American, Vale and BHP.



This latest trip comes against a backdrop of widespread criticism against the PF Government, both from within Zambia but also from international institutions such as the IMF, for the level of wastage incurred.



On a recent trip, the IMF publically stated that fiscal indiscipline is our country’s greatest challenge.



It was not long ago that President Lungu was widely criticized internationally, including by the Malawian President, Peter Mutharika, for wasting Zambian money by taking 256 people on a private jet to New York for the a UN Summit.



There is no surprise too to see the closeness between the top of ZCCM-IH and the PF leadership, and how these so called servants of our country only look after themselves at the expense of all others.



ZCCM-IH’s CEO, Pius Kasolo, is one of the founding members of the PF and his elder brother, Chanda Kasolo, is permanent secretary of the information ministry.



Those other ZCCM-IH members set to attend include:

Joseph Lungu
Chiti Bwalya
Mwelwa Manda
Loisa Kakoma
Manvuto Chipata
Kambole Mwanakatwe
Pius Kasolo
Matildah Phiri