PF chieftain, Sampa, throws weight behind Vedanta Resources in struggle over control of Konkola mines

Patriotic Front (PF) presidential contender, Miles Sampa, says government should hand over Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) to Indian miner, Vedanta Resources to lift residents out of economic misery.

“It is worrying that despite various government statements that they had decided to hand back the mine to Vedanta, it is several months later and no action on that score,” he said.

Sampa made these allegations on his official social media handle on Saturday.

“I gather now that lawyers have been hired from England by my good uncle the Finance Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane and my good brother the Mines Minister, Paul Kabuswe, just to come to negotiate the hand over process with Vedanta,” he claimed.

He claimed that the foreign lawyers would prolong talks as much as they could and more lives would continue to be lost from poverty in the Copperbelt while the lawyers argue the case.

Sampa, further claimed that on daily basis jobs continue to be lost and revenue almost to a halt at KCM.

He said a lot of wrong things were still happening at the mine like debt payable to renowned international rogue copper scammers.

“As a pragmatist I was thrilled with that position though some amongst us still want the impasse that is costing Zambia US$2 million on a daily basis to continue. They worry more about their egos than the suffering masses in the Copperbelt that need money back in their pockets today and not tomorrow or next year,” Sampa said.

He said Vedanta had undertaken to pay all Zambian suppliers owed money by KCM on day one of their arrival in Chingola.

Sampa said Vedanta had also pledged to give each KCM employee a K2500 arrival handshake before embarking on the US$3bilion recapitalization direct investment into KCM.

“It is two years down the line since the United Party for National Development (UPND) formed government and may they uplift lives in the Copperbelt province by injecting money into circulation,” he said.

Sampa was sure Vedanta has that money.

“May you actualize your KCM undertaking to them. Just ensure you lock them to a performance-based memorandum of understanding with strict timelines and walk away clauses for Zambia in case they don’t deliver,” he said.

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