. Magande
FORMER Finance minister Ng’andu Magande’s jumping to the defence of late President Levy Mwanawasa over the controversial sale of Konkola Copper Mines to Vedanta Resources Plc left out the facts that dead men never tell tales.
And that Gilbert Temba’s Citizen Forum was still engaged in a war of words with the Mwanawasa regime as late as July 2004 over the imminent sale of KCM to Vedanta.
The actual sale of the deal was concluded around October/November 2004.
So if he claims to have joined the MMD government in June 2004, then it follows that he was very much part of the transaction rather than the late Emmanuel Kasonde.
Meanwhile, it would be prudent for ZCCM-IH and ZRA to check whether the statement from Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal is at variance with profits declared so far to the Zambian Government for our nation to get a fair share from KCM which has reportedly been making a minimum of US$500 million per year from the time the mine was acquired by Vedanta Resources Plc.
There is a need to focus on the real issue, which is proving if KCM have been engaged in tax fraud and to make Vedanta Resources Plc pay a fair share of dividends to its counterpart shareholder ZCCM-IH. But the question still remains, is Magande telling the nation the truth? Though at the same time, he must let the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace.
Mubanga Luchembe,
LUSAKA
