Amos Chanda says KCM saga prompted his resignation

FORMER State House press aide Amos Chanda has disclosed that a disagreement over the liquidation of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) prompted his resignation from the presidency,

Chanda, who served as Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations under former President Edgar Lungu, made the revelations during a live interview on Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk programme this morning.

He said the decision to liquidate KCM reflected a broader ideological divide within State House, one that made it untenable for him to continue in his role.

Chanda said his resignation wasn’t a matter of personality clashes or ambition, but a principled stand against the path chosen to resolve the KCM crisis.

“Yes, I again put it on record that the people that we sold the mine to, who I consistently referred to as the country’s family seal, violated the social contract with the Zambian people,” Chanda said.

“They polluted the environment. They did not pay salaries. I agreed with all those protestations by the trade unions.”

Despite his agreement on the failures of the KCM owners, Chanda said he fundamentally disagreed with the decision to liquidate the mining giant.

The liquidation, according to Chanda, wasn’t just a technical move but it symbolised a deep policy rift inside State House, one that led him to a painful yet deliberate decision.

“Because the purpose of liquidation is to go in and liquidate, get the assets, sell them out and pay the creditors.”

Chanda, who is now UPND Media consultant, dismissed the notion that as a press aide he should not have been involved in policy matters like KCM, insisting his role was much more substantial than merely handling media.

“I met every CEO of KCM more than any other person. And I did not meet them because I met them as a person. I was assigned to. I was a contact person on various matters because it was a controversial subject,” he explained.

By George Musonda
Kalemba