I did not sleep after Chingola chaos – Imenda
By Mast Reporter
I DID not sleep when I heard that President Hakainde Hichilema was pelted with stones during his visit to Chingola, United Party for National Development (UPND) Secretary General Batuke Imenda has said.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Imenda was concern and disappointment over recent lawlessness in Chingola, where a “small group” of residents rioted and pelted President Hakainde Hichilema with stones.
“What happened in Chingola shocked everyone. I must admit that, that day, I did not sleep. I was in Mongu, addressing another state function. But when I got this information, that my President has been…from nowhere, is no longer protected,” he said.
“Then they were saying, let’s go and protect ourselves. That is how we should look at it. It’s not a question of whether you support what they are saying.”
Imenda described the incident as unacceptable and ‘unZambian’, saying it contradicted the spirit of peace and unity for which the people of the Copperbelt were known.
He highlighted President Hichilema’s role in reviving Zambia’s mining sector saying under President Hichilema’s leadership, artisanal miners were granted licences to operate legally and benefit meaningfully from the country’s mineral wealth.
Imenda said this was a historic shift from the past when small-scale mining were stigmatised and criminalised.
“The UPND government has revived the Copperbelt economy through decisive leadership and bold reforms that have restored investor confidence and created thousands of jobs,” he said.
Imenda cited major mining establishments such as Mopani Copper Mines (MCM), Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Lubambe Copper Mines, Luansha Shaft 28, and Mimbula, which had been revived.
He said these projects had attracted billions of dollars in new investment and created jobs for Zambians.
Imenda said the UPND condemned the riots and vandalism in the strongest terms.
“Violence is not and will never be a solution. It only destroys the opportunities that the government and private investors are working hard to create for the people,” he said.
