A consortium of Zambian suppliers in the Copperbelt and North Western Provinces has expressed their intent to petition the Government over concerns related to TradeCorp, a South African firm that supplies items to the Lumwana Mine.
Last month, Mundia Lubinda, a local contractor, addressed an open letter to President Hakainde Hichilema, urging the Government to address the issues surrounding TradeCorp’s dominance in the supply of goods to Lumwana Mine.
Following this, Sitali Mweemba, another local supplier, issued a media statement requesting the government to ensure that local entities are not sidelined from business opportunities by foreign companies at Lumwana Mine.
In a joint statement released on Monday, the consortium stated its intention to request relevant government bodies to investigate the alleged Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Barrick Lumwana and TradeCorp.Meanwhile, Good Governance Activist Peter Mulenga, based in Copperbelt, urged the Government to take a keen interest in the complaints raised by local suppliers regarding the alleged lack of adequate business opportunities at Lumwana, Kalumbila, and Kansanshi Mines in the North Western Province.
In an interview in Ndola, Mr. Mulenga expressed his shock at the lack of response from the government to the suppliers’ concerns, which have been consistently raised over the past two months.
Source: Lusakatimes
In other news – Police arrest Katuta for assaulting, spitting on journalist
Chiengi Member of Parliament, Given Katuta, has been apprehended by the police on charges of Common Assault, according to a statement by Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga.
The incident came to light after Times of Zambia photojournalist Henry Chunza reported that he was assaulted by the Independent Parliamentarian while on duty at the Parliament premises on July 21, 2023, around 09:00 hours. Read more