Party leader, Situmbeko, knocks Hichilema for paying little attention to poverty, mining rights in Parliamentary address

Pumulo Situmbeko, leader of the New Era Democratic Party (NED), has heavily criticized President Hakainde Hichilema for failing to address critical issues affecting Zambians in his recent address to Parliament. She raised concerns about mine ownership, poverty and employment.

Situmbeko noted that while President Hichilema discussed mining investments, he did not address key concerns about the lack of Zambian ownership in the mining sector.

In response to inquiries from Zambia Monitor in Lusaka on Saturday, Situmbeko pointed out that miners continued to receive inadequate wages and that there was insufficient transparency regarding Zambia’s tax revenue from these investments.

She stressed the need for Zambian cooperatives to be granted mining licenses and for Zambia to own at least 51 percent of its mining resources.

“Without this, we are allowing foreign investors to profit while Zambians struggle to survive on wages as low as K2,000 per month,” Situmbeko said.

On the topics of manufacturing and job creation, Situmbeko criticized the President’s speech as lacking concrete plans.

She argued that Zambia needs industries to create job opportunities for the youth and reduce reliance on imports.

“Instead of concrete plans, we heard vague promises that do not inspire confidence. The NED calls for a strategic focus on creating jobs by building industries that add value to Zambia’s natural resources, especially in agriculture and mining,” she said.

Situmbeko also pointed out that the President’s address barely mentioned key issues such as poverty, youth empowerment, power and drought, despite their significant impact on the lives of millions of Zambians.

She highlighted that poverty was mentioned only twice in an 8,000-word speech, reflecting a disconnect from the pressing realities faced by ordinary citizens.

“The president’s failure to focus on these issues shows a disconnect from the reality that ordinary citizens are grappling with every day,” Situmbeko said.

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