MUFULIRA ON VERGE OF BECOMING A GHOST TOWN DUE TO HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY LEVELS
A preliminary survey conducted by a civil society organization in Mufulira has revealed that Mufulira district is on the verge of becoming a ghost town due to high unemployment and poverty levels which have both reached alarming levels.
Chrispin Mweemba is the project coordinator for the advocacy on human development and tells phoenix news that the survey revealed that in addition to the over 9,500 workers that were recently laid off at Mopani copper mines and some of which are Mufulira residents, Kankoyo breweries has also laid off 1,833 workers resulting in massive poverty and a near impossible situation for families of Mufulira to survive.
Mweembe also feels that government needs to come up with quick interventions through the local leadership in the district to ensure a structured empowerment program for ex-miners to arrest the growing poverty levels.
He adds that the sending of workers on the streets by these two employers has a repo effect on the entire business community in Mufulira especially that small businesses in the district are thriving on the availability of the purchasing power that miners and those in formal employment have.
PHOENIX NEWS