Friday, March 29, 2024

Government takes over Collum Mines

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File: Coal Mine workers picking coal without protective clothes at Shaft One at the chinese collum mine
File: Coal Mine workers picking coal without protective clothes at Shaft One at the chinese collum mine

Government has with immediate effect cancelled the mining licence for Chinese run Collum Coal Mine.

Based in Sinazongwe area of Southern Province, Collum Mine has been the subject of fierce labour disputes between the Chinese managers and the local Zambian workers due to poor working conditions.

In 2010, eleven miners including one onlooker were shot and seriously wounded by Chinese manager at the Collum Coal Mine

Mines Minister Yamfwa Mukanga announced during a news briefing this morning that government has taken over the operations of the coal mine.

Mr. Mukanga said the mine has had a poor history of poor safety, health and environmental compliance which he attributed to the employment of unqualified personnel.

“Collum Coal Mine has failed to consistently provide employees with approved personal protective equipment (PPE’s),” he said.

Mr. Mukanga said the Ministry through the Mines Safety Department has been undertaking regular inspections to assist the mine remedy the persistent beaches adding that in some instances the entire mine has been closed before to allow the mine management to comply with directives but that there has no improvements.

“The Ministry gave a default notice to Collum Coal Mine on August 16 2012 and the company was given 60 days within which to remedy the anomalies cited in the default letter failure to which the licence would be cancelled. The 60 days expired on October 16 2012 without any response to the notice or remediation of all anomalies cited,” Mr. Mukanga stated.

The Mines Minister said Collum Mine failed to meet statutory obligations such as the declaration of mineral production and royalty to government.

Mr. Mukanga has since appealed to workers at the coal mine to remain calm assuring that there will be no disruption of normal operations.

Collum Coal Mining Industries Limited holds three small scale mining licences in Sinazongwe district of Southern province which were granted on 31 May 2002, July 5 2002 and May 7 2003 respectively.

34 COMMENTS

  1. Take it mwee…my Tonga brothers look like slaves in that picture. Kwashala Tea Estate in Kawambwa…those Zimbos are stupid.

    • Are you calling Luapulans Zimbos?
      Truly I agree, even though those hard working guys in picture spend too much money on Shake-Shake & dobo, those conditions are too much on any hard working man.
      The families may suffer for a couple of months, but you know what God is great, he offer them something better.

    • @Nostradamas, no I am not calling Luapulans Zimbos, but the owners of the Tea Estate. The company was first sold (ZPA) to Binani, the same company that operated the Luanshya mines in the name of Roan Antelope Mining Company of Zambia (RAMCOZ). They failed and at their exit they sold it to a company owned by Zimbos. That is the company which has finally brought Kawambwa Tea Estate to its knees.

  2. The is the kind of leadership we have been crying for. Well done PF. Despite so many warnings the Chinese didn’t bother even to respond to your letters. WHY? because they were used to operating like that during the MMD. We need to send a very clear message to investors that we mean business. Ukubuta No!! This is not MMD. Keep it up PF.

  3. this is not bad and it will send a strong massege to other investors,this guys should comply with our laws. next one should be zambia sugar and the list will follow

  4. I dont believe, this is just like Kabimba and GBM case to show us that u are working, its impossible that ka chinese man (the owner) is very corrupt he will get the mine back under a different name, sinazongwe pipo will tell us ..LOL

  5. Good move govt, let the Chinese go mine coal in China no exploiting Tonga bulls. Just close it if there is no investor coz the govt also wont do anythng, just find another investor…. pantu Kabwimba nomba alabilima

    • Not every one who works at that mine is tonga just like not everyone working at kansanshi is kaonde, just where is this tribe nonsense coming from. Zambia 1

  6. WELL DONE TO THE PF!!!!! This will definately send a clear message out there that we mean business and no investor should take Zambian Workers for granted.

    • No, it is not nationalisation. The minister said a suitable investor will have to be found. What we need are credible investors not infestors. Not ukubuta, no!

  7. If nationalization means protecting the people , “let it be.” I wish they could take over the copper mines as Zambians have come destitutes in their own land as copper profits are externalized. What has improved since the privatization of the coppermines in 2003?………poverty……absolute poverty……! Whoever brain washed our leaders that capitalism breeds prosperity……then must visit Zambia and see the true outcome of privatization. We have been reduced to slaves in our country…God help us.

  8. I grew up on the copperbelt. Mine Workers used to turn out in full kit when going for work. Those guys in the picture look like some tramps picked from the roadside. You call this investment? Awe ma Chines can F off!

  9. I feel sorry for those guys in the above picture they indeed look like slaves! I wonder how much these guys were being paid!

  10. ..and in most mines on the copperbelt, them ‘investors’ use our expertise to extract our minerals and externalise the income.
    …..why cant we use our expertise to extract our minerals and internalise the income…
    ..just thinking aloud!!

  11. This is obviously a campaign act, thinking that people in Livingstone will vote for PF when they hear that. Where has the government been all this time? Secondly, what has suddenly gone wrong that we haven’t heard about that has caused this take-over??? These PF animals are wrong for this country. This action would have been justified if they had acted at the time when the mine was violating labour laws and human rights. Doing it this time just sends wrong signals to foreign investors. Zambia is headed for six, and the poor eventually are the ones to suffer from poverty while the same PF pigs enjoy stolen public money. Lastly, very unintelligently, they enforce this completely erratic action at the time when the World Bank is visiting Zambia! Hooray!!! PF are intelligent!

    • very dull rantings indeed. While your people are made slave in their country you call it as investment, while your people are being shot at 13 of them for asking for what is due to them, and you support the oppressor?? What a dull Zambian you are really. Dull creatures who always deserved mistreatment from foreigners. I think Mushota is right when he/ she insults you. Dull ranting from a very dull Zambian…..shaaaa.

  12. Its about time….You can not tell from the photo what year it is; whether it is 1948 or 1970…surely how can workers be handling that black stuff without breathing masks or safety shoes or shovels or high visibility vests.

  13. “Mr. Mukanga said the Ministry through the Mines Safety Department has been undertaking regular inspections to assist the mine remedy the persistent beaches”
    Who are the persistent beaches in this regard?

  14. Very very great move PF. Workers at that chinese coal mine have suffered so much. They have cried so money times , but this time their cry has been heard. Now PF, listen and very good. As Zambians we can’t fail to run that mine. What is needed is good and disciplined management . Its Zambians who run all businesses for these foreigners and they perform , but I just fail to understand why we can’t run our own companies well. Any way we know why, let companies run as independent entities from politicians, and let us Zambians not steal when we are made managers for such companies.

    Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.

  15. this is wonderful though it would have happened on the 17th October 2012 immediately after the expiring of the 60 days notice, 4 months is too much to effect action now. At least a precedence has been set, I wait to the next victim am very sure it not only Collum Coal Mine……….

  16. If the govt has taken over, then there was no need for cancelling the mining licence. If operations are continuing as alluded to in the article then a mining licence will be required. All that Government needed to do is value the company, and pay the owners the valued amount less any obligations to govt which may even swallow the whole valued amount given the penalties on taxes owed and fines for violation of various regulations. That way you do not violate our constitution that requires that if govt takes over, the investor needs to be compensated.

    • Imwe na imwe, the mining licence has the name of the holder, the licencee. This name should be Collum Coal Mine. When govt takes over is it going to be the same Collum Coal Mine? It may be called that in general by the public but the owners will no longer be the same Chinese. It ceases to be their liability but is now a liability of the Zambian govt.

      Just say that if the govt has taken over, will it issue a new licence to itself? I suppose govt has a mining company that has shareholding in major mines in Zambia and is the custodian of govt interests in the industry. This company is called ZCCM-IH; ZCCM-Investment Holdings. I suppose it assume the role of caretaker

      What say you my brother?

    • @Chindakwanda-Galileo Galilei – my brother, mines on the copperbelt have changed ownership from private to govt and back to private without any name change, what changes is the shareholder structure

  17. THE OWNERS OF THIS COMPANY MUST COMPESATE THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEIR HEALTHY HAS ALREADY BEEN DAMAGED AND MSD SHOULD BE QUESTIONED WHY SUCH IS HAPPENING AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN EXISTANCE BEFORE THIS MINE WAS ESTABLISHED.

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