Mr Eric Chanda former national youth chairperson of Patriotic Front said that the continued importation of foreign labor at the expense of Zambian a skilled manpower should be discarded under the new government to foster job creation among the suffering majority nationals.

In recent months, there has been outcry from the mine workers movement and Zambians in general at the continued increase of foreign skilled labor hired by companies at the expense of trained Zambians and the government has yet to state its position on the matter.

Mr Eric Chanda said that there was need to declare zero tolerance on imported manpower to work in the country adding that imported labor had contributed to the high unemployment levels among youths in the country.

He cited the mining industry on the Copperbelt where the practice was rife adding that this rendered many Zambian youths jobless as they could not take up jobs they desire. Imported labor came in the form of expatriates but what youths wanted was for these companies to train Zambians to become experts in those fields.

He said that let them go and be trained and then bring them back to work in Zambia and this is what we need to do in Zambia to avoid this imported labor. They say that there is no certain type of skill in Zambia but there are no skills that we don't have in this country.

The government, as a remedial measure needs to put in place the laws that should put a stop to imported labor so as to create employment opportunities for the gallant youths who really fought and struggled for change. It was an undisputable fact that without the efforts of the youths of Zambia, the change that was experienced after the September 20th 2011 elections would not have been possible.

Mr Eric Chanda said that "We cannot continue to tolerate investors coming into our country and getting all jobs while we remain unemployed. This is totally unacceptable and the starting point is to declare zero tolerance to imported labour and we will move forward in job creation for our people."

Recently the Mine workers union of Zambia, the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers expressed similar concerns at the increased trends in foreign owned companies which claimed to outsource labor at the expense of skilled Zambians noting that several companies including Konkola Copper Mines attributed the outsourcing to specialization.

Mr Wylbur Simuusa mines minister of Zambia conceded that there were several reports of such nature that needed to be investigated before government could issue a comprehensive statement.

(Filed by Mr Kapembwa Sinkamba SteelGuru Correspondent Zambia)