Youngson Kalobo’s death exposes the economically marginalized youths

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Jerabos, Youngson Kalobo
Leader of the Copperbelt based group of small-scale miners, popularly known as the Jerabos, Youngson Kalobo - Photo Credit ; Derrick Yoram Kafuti

Youngson Kalobo’s death has exposed our marginalised and economically perverted participation in the mining industry as youths.

The so called “enabling environment ” is something we have misunderstood as a tool to benefit foreign interests that we broadly term as “investors ” whilst our young men become thugs and criminals in order to take part in our economy as the only available way for them to deal with shallow and incompetent bureaucrats and a savvy band of corporate raiders and thugs like Argawal. The jerabo might beat you occasionally but the mine continously poisons even the newborn babies indiscriminately (centre, is our by word for air polluting poison gas from the mines)

 

Zambians have been crowded out by ignorance, greed and lack of leadership in the last half century of political,independence.

In the KWACHA REPUBLIC an enabling environment will mean ordinary Zambians have an insurmountable advantage over others in all matters within our borders.

The best foreign interests will be able to do will be to partner with locals. Anyone can hold shares in a mine run by foreigner, this is how Dubai has been built.

 

 

The Saudi and Emurati are not slaves of their own oil as we are of our own copper, gold,diamonds or uranium. Let’s import Indian, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Scandinavian or American workers and technical experts in the areas we lack instead of importing owners and corporate tyrants who bully our mostly small minded, neutered or impoverished business people, politicians and government officials. These Jerabo Robinhoods were big contributors to the PF Copperbelt push that brought Sata to power and cemented Edgar Lungu as well.

 

Youngson and the jerabo’s are products of our national inability to negotiate with Argawal, Motsipe or Pascal on equal footing. How can you negotiate with foreign tycoons if you are worrying about school fees and fuel. These tycoons are sharks and will see your weakness and will rip you apart in the boardroom and if you are a strong headed idealist, they will bully your boss or even your president and have him rip you apart on their behalf due to the vicious cycle of indigenous material and intellectual poverty we have wilfully perpetuated due to our “Muzungu wanga and Muzungu anikonde” culture. ( Muzungu refers to anyone who has advantage over our pocket or politics).

 

Youngson was a jerabo and a notorious thug yes but we as a society produced him and must take responsibility for this.

We must create clean opportunities for our people instead of militarising and mafiarising them,and allowing
them to take police and politician alike into,their pockets to the detriment of ordinary citizens and the state.

 

Youngson was a Robinhood far away from Nottingham….the question is who now are the sherrifs….?

In the KWACHA REPUBLIC foreigners will work for us or with us on our terms.

Daywalker

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