Kambwili unveils his 13-Point employment plan

NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili has has spelled out his party’s 13-Point plan which he says will address unemployment and other labour-related challenges in the country.

In a speech on the eve of this year’s Labour Day celebrations, Kambwili said the 13-Point employment plan outlines the solutions and initiatives which form part of the broader vision of the NDC.

The opposition leader noted that Zambia is a country that is blessed and endowed with abundant natural resources, a youthful labour force and other potential avenues that if harnessed and managed well can bring abundant wealth and prosperity to the people of Zambia.

He however bemoaned the high levels of poverty and unemployment especially among the youth, which he blames to the gross mismanagement and lack of a vision by the PF government of President Edgar Lungu.

Kambwili accused the PF government of showing a total disregard for the suffering of the Zambian masses.

Below is Kambwili’s full speech

Fellow countrymen and women,

On this 30th day of April, the evening before the Labour Day of 2019, I would like to address and salute you, the hardworking citizens of this great nation we call Zambia.

It is you, the hardworking people of Zambia that continue to keep the hopes and aspirations of this nation alive.

You the people of Zambia, have persevered through difficult times and economic hardships, to drive the nation forward and to keep the dream alive for future generations of Zambians to come.

On this Labour day eve, I would like to address you in my capacity as a fellow citizen, and as President of the National Democratic Congress.

In this address, I would like to discuss several challenges that are facing the Zambian worker today, I would also like to lay out the vision of the National Democratic Congress as it relates to issues of labour and employment.

Zambia is a country that is blessed and endowed with abundant natural resources, a youthful labour force and other potential avenues that if harnessed and managed well can bring abundant wealth and prosperity to the people of Zambia.

Unfortunately, due to the gross mismanagement and lack of a vision by the PF government of President Edgar Lungu, Zambia is now ranked among the poorest nations in the world. Unemployment in Zambia now stands at over 70%. This means that over 7 in every 10 Zambians of working age are unemployed. Most university and college graduates are languishing on the streets because they cannot find employment. Poverty in Zambia is at an all-time high. The PF government has shown a total disregard for the suffering of the Zambian masses.

Under the poor leadership of President Edgar Lungu, Chinese nationals have infiltrated and taken over almost all sectors of the Zambian economy. Today, Chinese nationals control the retail of household goods which was previously done by Zambians. President Lungu has allowed over 50,000 Chinese nationals to come and live and work in Zambia. These Chinese nationals are doing jobs that ordinary Zambians are able to do. This has disadvantaged the youth of this nation. Today thousands of Chinese are working as miners, labourers, construction workers and shopkeepers in Zambia. These Chinese cannot be classified as expatriates or investors, they come with no special skills that Zambians do not have, they are here to work and earn a living at the expense of Zambian youths. President Lungu has borrowed billions of dollars from China and Chinese state owned companies, and some of the conditions attached to those loans is the importation of Chinese citizens to come and work in Zambia, this will come to an end when the NDC forms government.

I won’t delve too much into the wrongs of the PF government; I think those are clear for all to see that the PF government has failed the people of Zambia.
Today I would like to focus on the solutions that the NDC brings to the table;

I will now unveil the NDC’s 13 Point employment plan which outlines the solutions and initiatives which form part of the broader vision of the NDC.

1: MANUFACTURING AND JOB CREATION
Under an NDC government, Zambia will be transformed into a production based economy rather than a consumption based economy. Currently, most products that are consumed in Zambia are foreign made. If you go to Shoprite, Pick N Pay or China Mall, almost all the goods they are selling are made abroad.
This means that we are creating employment for citizens of those countries and not for Zambians. To address this situation, the NDC will create a favourable economic environment that will enable both local and foreign investors to establish production plants and factories here in Zambia.

These new factories will create thousands of jobs for Zambian youths. We will impose tariffs and import barriers on select South African and Chinese goods that can be produced locally. This will help to strengthen and expand local production companies like Trade Kings which will employ more factory workers.

Products such as milk, tissue, tomatoes, pies, potatoes, onions and cooking oil will not be permitted to enter Zambia’s borders. Supermarkets such as Shoprite and Pick N Pay will be compelled to source these products from local farmers and local manufacturers.

The NDC will also encourage value addition to raw materials such as processing of copper to finished products such as geysers. This in turn will create more jobs for the Zambian youth.

2: ZAMBIAN JOBS FOR ZAMBIAN CITIZENS
Under an NDC government, jobs in Zambia will be reserved for Zambian citizens. The NDC will not permit foreign nationals to come and work in Zambia as labourers, construction workers, miners, shopkeepers, pharmacists, farm workers or office workers.

These jobs will be reserved for Zambian youth. We will revoke the work permits of foreign nationals who are doing jobs that ordinary Zambians are able to do. Investors will be permitted to bring executives and highly trained personnel to manage their investments but they will not be permitted to bring their own workforce to perform routine tasks. They will be required to employ Zambian citizens to perform the day to day routine tasks of their companies.

Investors permits will only be given to those who can prove that they have a working capital of $1 Million and above which will be invested into the Zambian economy. If any company wants to bring in an expatriate, they will be required to prove to the Labour office and Immigration department that they have failed to find a qualified person in Zambia, they will have to provide a letter from the appropriate professional body permitting them to bring the expatriate.

3: IMPROVEMENT IN CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
If elected to government, the NDC will move to increase and enhance employment working conditions for all Zambian workers through the amendment of the employment act and introduction of a more favourable tax regime.

The NDC will introduce an industry specific minimum wage structure, this means that there will be a separate minimum wage for each industry. This minimum wage will be based on industry profitability. This means that very profitable industries like mining and large retail companies will be required by law to pay a higher minimum wage to their employees.

The NDC will also increase the PAYE tax free threshold from K3,300 to K4,500. This means that every person earning below K4,500 will not be required to pay PAYE taxes. This is in line with the national basic needs basket. The NDC will also introduce weekend working penalties, this means that employees who work on Saturday and Sunday will be entitled to double the daily pay rate per hour work.

In addition to this, employers will be required to provide their employees with a healthcare allowance of K300 per month, in addition to the already existing statutory allowances. Employers will be required to also show proof to employees that they have remitted NAPSA contributions to NAPSA on a monthly basis.

4: STRENGTHENING OF TRADE UNIONS
Under an NDC government, Trade Unions will once again be allowed to flourish as they once did. New rules will be introduced for union leaders, union leaders’ salaries will be capped to match the highest paid general member of the union and below. This will be done to ensure that Union leaders salaries reflect the working conditions of the members they represent. This will mean that the salaries of union leaders will be tied to their own performance. Union leaders will only get salary increments if their members also get a salary increment. Union members will also be given the right to recall and replace non performing union leaders.

5: RESERVATION OF CERTAIN INDUSTRIES TO ZAMBIAN NATIONALS ONLY
Under an NDC government, certain industries will be preserved for Zambian citizens. Today the PF has allowed thousands of foreigners to take over local industries such as pharmaceuticals, brick making, drilling of boreholes and the rearing of chickens.
These industries have been overtaken by citizens of India, Turkey and China. Zambia has a lot of qualified people who can manage these industries. Under an NDC government, these industries will gradually be returned to full Zambian management. Zambians will be encouraged to import machinery and stock from abroad to come and sell medicines, drill boreholes and make bricks for their fellow citizens, this will be one of our citizens’ empowerment initiatives.

No more permits will be given to foreign nationals wanting to work in these industries. In addition to this, Zambian government contracts will be awarded to companies owned by Zambians as first priority. Foreign owned companies will only be awarded contracts if there are no Zambian companies that are able to discharge the terms of that contract.

6: NEW EMPLOYMENT RULES IN THE MINING SECTOR
The NDC will set new rules for employment and subcontracting in the mining sector. Mining companies on the Copperbelt have for a long time absolved themselves of responsibility to employees by contracting Chinese sub-contractors to conduct mining activities on their behalf.

Under the new rules, the owners of the mine will be held responsible for the working conditions of its sub-contractors, the owner of the mine will be required to ensure that sub-contractors are offering decent wages and are complying to industry conditions of employment such as the provision of pensionable employment and protective clothing of a high standard.

The owners of the mine will be compelled to intervene and pay for the deficiencies of the sub-contractor. Both mine owner and sub-contractor will be held liable for all mandatory provisions of the employment code.

7: FORMATION OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES AND THE RURAL CROP MARKETING BOARD
The NDC has a comprehensive plan to enhance agriculture in Zambia. Subsistence and peasant farmers will be grouped into cooperatives. The government will acquire thousands of tractors, ploughs and cultivation equipment that members of these community agricultural cooperatives will be able to rent, or acquire through lease finance.

By giving small scale farmers access to this equipment, they will be able to cultivate larger fields, employ more people and upgrade themselves to commercial farming. The NDC will have a deliberate policy of encouraging rural farmers to grow a wide variety of crops throughout the year.

A rural crop marketing and purchasing board will be established in each province. The rural crop marketing board’s mandate will be to link rural farmers to cash markets, to ensure that rural farmers are able to get their fresh produce to the marketplace at a good price. The board will also be buying fresh produce from rural farmers for resale to value addition factories.

For example, excess tomatoes farmed in districts like Chibombo will be bought by the marketing board and resold to companies producing tomato paste and tomato sauce. Mangoes and other crops harvested in rural towns will be collected and sent to processing plants to be processed and packaged into juice and jam. This will ensure that rural farmers will always have a market and no produce will go to waste.

The NDC will also establish large farming blocks, the size of the Mpongwe wheat farm in every district that has fertile soils and little economic activities. These farms will stimulate economic activity in these districts and create thousands of new jobs.

8: REVAMPING OF TRADE SCHOOLS
The NDC will invest heavily in the revamping of existing and construction of new trade schools that will offer trade skills such as carpentry, boiler making, brick laying, electrical, arts, landscaping, music, road construction and various forms of farming.

This will be to ensure that Zambian youth are equipped with a wide range of skills that will enable them to obtain employment easily. Currently, we have a lot of unemployed youth because they are all studying to be in a few professions such as banking, business administration and accounting.

This has led to stiff competition for jobs and unemployment due to a high supply of graduates in certain fields. By expanding the number of fields and professions, there will be less competition for jobs and a greater diversity in the productivity of the Zambian economy.

The NDC will also embark on the formation of a comprehensive internship and apprenticeship programme for university and trade school students. Students will be able to do volunteer work in both government and private institutions. Those students that are given internships will be paid a small amount to cover their transport and meals at work. The purpose of the internship programme will be to provide students with work experience before they graduate which will make it easier for them to obtain employment after graduation.

9: ACCESS TO LOW INTEREST LOANS FOR SMALL ZAMBIAN BUSINESSES AND SMALL SCALE FARMERS
The NDC will pursue a policy that will encourage the expansion of the micro-finance industry for small industry and rural banking. The formation of community credit unions for small industry will be promoted and encouraged.

Banking institutions that invest in low interest micro-financing will be eligible for tax relief and other incentives. Small viable businesses will be able to obtain low interest loans from these credit unions in order for them to expand their businesses, create employment and expand the economy.

The government will take the lead by forming a small business and rural banking services bank that will specifically be established to provide banking services for this purpose.

10: CREATION OF THE DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT SERVICES COMMISSION

If elected to government, the NDC will create the Disability Employment Services Commission. The purpose of this commission will be to assist Zambians with disabilities and those coming from a disadvantaged background to obtain employment.
The commission will coordinate training activities for people with disabilities and then assist them in finding employment both within the private sector and government.

Private companies that opt into the programme and provide employment for people with disabilities will be eligible for tax incentives. This programme will also include street kids. Street kids will be removed from the streets, sent to trade schools for training and then given employment through the disability employment services commission. Hundreds of jobs in government each year will be reserved for the commission to fill.

11: A ZERO TOLERANCE FOR NEPOTISM IN CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYMENT
The situation in civil service employment in Zambia today is a shame. Jobs are being given to PF cadres, relatives and friends of those in power to the disadvantage of genuinely qualified and educated graduates. There is a lack of transparency in the way teachers, nurses and other civil servants are employed.

The NDC will seek to create a more transparent process that will involve the inclusion of private recruitment and consultancy agencies in civil service recruitment to prevent nepotism and corruption in the civil service. The NDC will pursue a zero tolerance policy for nepotism. Employment in the civil service will be based on merit rather than patronage.

12: A ZERO TOLERANCE TO RACISM AND EMPLOYEE ABUSE
There have been widely reported cases of racism and employee abuse in many foreign owned companies. Companies such as AVIC and others are well known for employee abuse, racism and offering sub-standard working conditions for Zambians. The NDC will implement stiff penalties on employers that engage in racism and employee abuse. Penalties will include fines, imprisonment, deportation and revocation of investors permits and trading licences.

13: FORMALISATION OF THE INFORMAL SECTOR AND STREET VENDING
Finally, I would like to address the issue of the informal sector and street vending. This is something that I take very seriously because the majority of Zambians today are in the informal sector and survive on street vending to earn a living and to send their children to school.

The PF government has shown a high level of cruelty to street vendors. Street vendors have been mistreated and their businesses destroyed by the PF government. Many street vendors are now living in extreme poverty because of the manner in which they have been mistreated by the PF.

The NDC is pledging that when elected to office, the informal sector and street vending will be formalised within a proper regulatory framework. This framework will comply with health and hygiene guidelines of the Local government. Street vending will be allowed in certain areas of the central business districts under strict guidelines.

Street vendors will be formally registered and allocated trading spaces in designated parts of town. More markets will also be built to accommodate those selling food items. It’s worth noting that even in developed cities like Dubai, London and New York, street vending is allowed under strict guidelines and we will do the same here in Zambia to give an opportunity to street vendors to earn a decent living.

To conclude my address today, I would like to make an earnest appeal to all Zambians to reflect on the state of our nation today. Corruption, mismanagement and a total disregard of human rights under president Edgar Lungu has driven this country into.

Zambia is capable of becoming a prosperous country with the right leadership. We in the NDC have the vision and will to transform Zambia into a prosperous, peaceful and vibrant nation. I therefore appeal to you to join us in the NDC as we embark on this important journey to realise the Zambian promise and bring prosperity to this land.

Thank you, May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless our country Zambia.

END OF SPEECH