Vice President Inonge Wina has urged the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development to ensure that big businessmen do not hijack the Black Mountain project. And Mrs Wina has urged Copperbelt-based parliamentarians to interact more with people in their constituencies and educate them about procedures for accessing development funds.

Speaking at a press briefing held at Sherbourne Hotel in Kitwe yesterday, Mrs Wina said the Black Mountain is meant to empower youths by making them more productive and keeping them from vices. “Big businessmen should not hijack the Black Mountain project to the detriment of our youths,” she said.

Mrs Wina said other copper slug dumps on the Copperbelt should also be revisited and given to the youths as empowerment for them. However, Mrs Wina said all legal processes should be adhered to and exhausted before any slug dumps are handed over to the youths. She said all such projects are meant to accelerate the Copperbelt Province’s development agenda.

And Mrs Wina said parliamentarians from the Copperbelt should interact with the electorate more and ensure people know about the procedures for accessing development funds. She said women need to form groups for purposes of accessing money for acquisition of land for aquaculture activities in some parts of Kitwe.

Mrs Wina said she has noted, from her visit to the Copperbelt, that there are a lot of activities going on aimed at empowering people.
She said people on the Copperbelt still hold their hope in the Patriotic Front to develop the province and that President Lungu will not disappoint them.

Mrs Wina said her interactions with government and private sector stakeholders in the province confirmed that President Lungu had set the pace for Zambia’s development agenda. However, Mrs Wina said real transformation will only be realised when Zambians come together and take ownership of their development.