Thursday, March 28, 2024

Govt refutes Sata’s claims over Chinese nationals in Zambia

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Government has refuted claims by opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president, Michael Sata that 80,000 Chinese nationals in Zambia have been issued with permits.

Minister of Home Affairs Ronnie Shikapwasha parried Mr. Sata’s assertions today
saying only 2,340 Chinese nationals have been given permits since 2004.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha explained that of the 2,340 permits issued to Chinese
nationals, 2,057 were for employment, 176 for self-employment while 107 were entry
permits.

Lt. General Shikapwasha said in a statement availed to ZANIS in Lusaka today that
Government had issued permits to 80,000 Chinese was an overstatement by Mr. Sata.

“There have been some employment permit applications for some Chinese nationals that
have been turned down for failure to meet the required academic and professional
requirements,” he said.

He further said some investors that have failed to put up meaningful investment have
had their permits revoked and consequently removed from Zambia.

“Even if permit holders are allowed to reside in the country with their spouses and
children, this would bring the total to less than ten thousand Chinese nationals on
permits,” he explained.

Lt. General Shikapwasha explained that Zambia would not ignore China because her
economic development plans could not exclude other international players.

He said Chinese investments and projects in Zambia were helping improve the
standards of living of Zambian people.

The minister said the Immigration Department under his ministry did not discriminate
in awarding employment permits and visas.

“Everything is done strictly on merit, in a transparent and professional manner and
in the best interest of the people of Zambia and the nation as a whole,” he said.

41 COMMENTS

  1. Man I see Chinese everywhere I go in Lusaka. Even in compounds like Garden. No this Shikapwasha wants us to believe that there are only 2340 Chinese in Zed? We all know who is lying here.

  2. We are now 12.5 million pop inclusive of 1.5 million of chuchuchangs (chinese).

    MMD chaps read todays post paper on how Mr Mutati laments on chuchuchangs influx in the country. It’s sad that Mr Mutati is surrounded by MMD vultures and bootlinkers of the likes Impombo, Mulyata,Fact,Ndalama Banda. I think it’s the right time for hon Mutita to join PF where his services will bear tangible results.

  3. Mwaiche Joze # 2,
    Mutati belongs to democracy and not totalitarian. He would not join PF.It is a dead mercenaries’party of hired guns without leadership, vision, policies and national representation. At 95% tribal dominance, the best PF should do is facilitate the exit of Sata and his mercenary vision for the US $50,000.00. Learn from the Nchanga Chingola bye-elections where defeat for 2011 starts.At 77 for Presidency when Dr.LPM is retiring at 62? What a dream.

  4. Ba Joze #2,

    The MMD have started impoting potential voters for 2011. I am afraid the influx of the chuchuchangs is a serious strategy and they blending very well within our community and who will question the stats when the population in Zed will be declared as having 10 million eligible voters by 2010 out of which 5 million will be chuchuchangs!! Rigging is serious business and the guys are ahead of the game.

  5. #3

    Tel that to Dr. Sata who has presented a paper at Harvard University bashing the chungchungs and corruption in the current administration! I’m sure you will soon read about it in the international media.

  6. Fellow Zambian around Chicago,

    This evening Saturday 27th and tomorrow the 28th at 7PM CST myself and a fellow Zambian will be proudly participating in debates at the World Affairs Council forum at John Marshall Law School in Chicago.The world’s best policy analysts,scholars and NGOs have been drawn to speak and share their world perspective here.I cordially invite those of you fellow Zambians around Chicago to come in attendance and support our input.We will endeavor to make Zambia proud.

  7. Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata
    ZAMBIA has fallen prey to unscrupulous Chinese investors, opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has charged.

    In his presentation to the United States-based Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies Events Series on Wednesday, Sata said Zambia had been invaded by rogue Chinese investors.

    “Zambia has also found it difficult to attract genuine investors and has become the prey of the rogue Chinese investors that have

  8. Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata
    ZAMBIA has fallen prey to unscrupulous Chinese investors, opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has charged.

    In his presentation to the United States-based Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies Events Series on Wednesday, Sata said Zambia had been invaded by rogue Chinese investors.

    “Zambia has also found it difficult to attract genuine investors and has become the prey of the rogue Chinese investors that have

  9. SATA will never rule Zambia. Come 2011 he will Kiss dust again. With 50+ Majority required, I don’t see him winning even if his whole clan vote for him like they did in 2006.
    Viva Zambia

  10. UncleP #1,they are talking about WORK PERMITS not just any chinese you see in the ghetto. so the number might be correct, infact such a number can easily be verified at the concerned ministry…well, in my view

  11. Can I just point out two things that are beginning to irritate me on this blog. Firstly, there are one or two people who come on and tell us that Sata or Hichilema will not rule the country. Considering the choice belongs to the voters who do these people think they are? Secondly, racist and abusive language towards the Chinese only highlights the inferiority complex on the part of many Zambians. We must just force Mopani, KCM and the Chinese equally to employ Zambians. Let’s not abuse them!

  12. … cont’d from #12
    When you walk in some parts of Europe and the USA, there is an equal mix of black, asian and white people, and everyone expects to be treated with dignity. It is often said that only insecure white people tend to be racist. Let’s not emulate them! That said, the government needs to ensure that jobs are given to Zambians. Let’s not blame investors for our own government’s failings.

  13. While we cant really trust Shikapwasha’s numbers, Sata’s 80,000 are just rubbish. A population of 80,000 is like filling Chililabombwe. Where are all those chinese hiding? So if Sata wants to take us back to import substitution and nationalist policies of yesteryear this doesnt do his party much good.

  14. Chitapankwa Mwine Lubemba, bayeete wena wa aBena ng’andu! Your #12 above is spot on, if only more Zambians were as level headed as you, we would not be in the mess we are in today. Indeed, you make a very good comparison, if there was an entire Chililabombwe of Chinese nationals in this country, would they not be very apparent on the streets of this country? They without any doubt would! Sata’s diplomacy is one of extortion laced with a vile inferiory complex. Period.

  15. I find it very difficult to accept the notion that Ben Mwila would lend tens of thousand of US dollars to Regina Mwanza at a time when she was NOT married to his SO CALLED nephew from whom he was at the time bittered enstranged for blocking him from aspiring to the highest office in the land.

    Further, this was the time Chiluba was seriously squeezing Mwila, he was cash strapped and banks were repossessing a number of his properties (Chibote for one) for defaulting on loan service repayments.

  16. She said when UNIP boycotted the 1996 general elections,they lost all the seats they had in parliament.Mulasikwanda said because of that,UNIP would never regain power.She said she stood on the word of God and that even God said if those he wanted to do his work failed,he would raise stones to finish his work.

  17. The Ministry of Home Affairs needs to check its operations seriously.If they can officially say that only 2,340 chinese are legally in the counttry then we have a problem since everybody can see that there are alot more than that. I have never heard of immigration deporting chinese nationals, so basically the chinese are invading the country illegally.Sata may have a point

  18. I fail to understand why Sata and his group are complaining about the Chinese people when they are actually contributing to job creation in the country. Gentlemen, lets not feel threatened in our own land, let’s welcome genuine investors and work together to develop the country. When Sata was minister of Local Government and Housing all the grocery stores in Lusaka were owned by the Indians. At the end of the day, all the money they made went back to India and into building big houses for

  19. cont…..for themselves. There is nothing that really came out of that Zambia India relationship. Well China, is pumping billions of dollars in Chambeshi mine like it or not that multi facility economic zone will provide employment to a lot of Zambians. Really, Hu Jinato showed his commitment to Zambia by visiting the country and pledging to work with Zambia develop. As the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed, China has been a good friend to Zambia, the least we can do is call names

  20. whats this Xenophobia towards chinese people??? take it or leave chinese have come to stay all over the world just like nigerians.please adapt to the environment and make use of it.Am a Zambian in another country with chaps that have xenophobic behaviour towards,I tell them off and I have come to stay here with my family and I will keep my job and develop myself proffessionally.those that dont know about globalisation swallow your small pride and seek for solutions with these new challenges.

  21. #6 Pragmatist
    I think you have serious issues mwandini. Surly, you heard that His Excellence Michael Chilufya Sata had been invited to Harvard for paper presentation on influx of Chinese in Africa, naiwe ati you are inviting pipo for nonsense talk. Yangua uluse ine, of late you think and regard yourself as a guru wapa blog nawo uwabula style in diverting topics. Learn to grow and contribute to the topic at hand.

  22. Joze,

    So when Sata is invited to Harvard all invitations, opportunities and engagements on Zambians must freeze? You are miserably dumb without self hope.If KK, Mwanawasa and other National leaders could be on National duty while independent and GRZ officials attend to others tasks, what is long for a Zambian to observe some NGO invitation? If you have never participated in any public debates that is because of your deficiencies. Not everyone speaks your Chibanga language.

  23. Learn English and coherence, opportunities will find you too. Very few understand your kabanga language incase you don’t know. If you can’t comprehend or articulate anything as you have proved here rather than bootlicking Sata rubbish in his way out, how you gona understand the increasingly complex money market models when your friends are rolling in hard earned wealth?

  24. #25&26 Kakote
    Iwe we kakote wabula amano na sauti, kafwile kwenu, ngole tundama akanwa. You witch old fool just shut up and go and wait for ur dying day! your have overstayed here on earth, your time is already gone.

  25. Much has been said on the economic sabotage, indeed the Chinese have taken us for granted because of our impoverished leaders with no dignity at all. What is this Home Affairs Minister saying when every corner u cover u find a China man working worse still those that have come to invest in cooking Nshima at Soweto market. It hates to see the foolishness of these we call our leaders

  26. Poor Zambians you amaze me with your useless debates. Find something to do and make money. The Chinese are busy taking your wealth and as usual you are busy arguing over flimsy and foolish matters.When are we going to grow up?

  27. wake up Zambia. We perish becomes we lack knowledge. What is happening with the Chinese and Indians sprading out is a natural phenomenon. There is pressure in their homelands so they need to find space and resources. Lets sharpen our ways and meet everyone at their level. Lets invest in proper education institutions, not those which close everyday. We tried to run our economy with KK what happened? After 43yrs we have failed to create genuine businessmen. Heard of Reliance of India?

  28. Bweupe

    that Chinese are everywhere even as far as Mansa who in my own description i call them as traders and not genuine investors. Let the Govermet through the Ministry of labour and Social Security take a Survey and look at the Conditions of Service of those employed by the so called chinese investors. You are the Govt and am sure u know what is on the ground stop pretending. there will never be another;’our Zambia than this one please!’

  29. that Chinese are everywhere even as far as Mansa who in my own description i call them as traders and not genuine investors. Let the Govermet through the Ministry of labour and Social Security take a Survey and look at the Conditions of Service of those employed by the so called chinese investors. You are the Govt and am sure u know what is on the ground stop pretending. there will never be another;’our Zambia than this one please!’

  30. You go to Chililabombwe,Kamenza Township has been infested by Chinese. One would not be wrong to say they are close to 500 Chinese in Chilabombwe alone. We have worked with these Chinese and they are not qualified and skilled as MMD ministers put it. Infact they have said they are prisoners where they come from. They are in Zambia to serve prison setences.And now there are indians moving in groups in Kamenza Township in Chililabombwe. Mr Sata is right.We should import technology,not human beings

  31. Fellow zedians,

    Ignore Sata’s rantings on Chinese at your peril. Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia are fighting foreign invasion of their lands. We know what Zimbabwe has done.

    I don’t know any country that developed from importing foreigners to their lands as their bosses, save for Europe and America that imported blacks as SLAVES!

    80 thousand chinese can easily be infused into the country without any problem. Zambia is big. But for how long?

    So Zedians, be warned of this invasion

  32. This country will live to regret for having ignored Sata’s rantings on chineses. Future generation will condemn chuchu and his minions for infecting our land with Chocholis.

  33. Much as I would like to contribute, there is an appalling attitude to elevate self at the expense of the general health of an educated debate, the sole purpose this site was created for. Living in the diaspora, I have noticed this cancer in almost all the Zeds I have interacted with. Elevating their small egos. Alot of us who have achieved dont talk about our success because they are minimums. Midgets are the only who desparately want to stand taller. Zeds grow up

  34. the policy on investment in my country makes sad reading. i shudder to think about how posterity will view us. we are failing to save ourselves from vultures with our eyes open. while the common zambian pays tax through the nose the so called investor whatever form they are in has huge relief. WAKE UP ANA A KWATHU!

  35. apa komaila nondo ninshi pali ubulema. i don’t think all that sata says on chinese investment is nonsense. we seriously need to rethink the way we handle investment, who should benefit and how. what will it benefit us? to have huge chinese investment and lose the ethos of what it means to be zambian?

  36. apa komaila nondo ninshi pali ubulema. i don’t think all that sata says on chinese investment is nonsense. we seriously need to rethink the way we handle investment, who should benefit and how. what will it benefit us, to have huge chinese investment and lose the ethos of what it means to be zambian?

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