Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani says the police have arrested a number of suspected masterminds of the recent Konkola Copper Mine riots.
Mr. Mangani told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the suspected masterminds will appear in court soon. He said government will not condone any irresponsible behavior where people take the law into their own hands.
The minister said it is necessary for employees or any section of society to use the correct channels of addressing their grievances rather than resorting to violence.
He said it was okay for the miners to complain about whatever they felt but that it was not good for them to destroy company and public property.
Last week KCM miners’ riot disrupted the mining company’s operations for three days after management allegedly failed to award its workers improved conditions of service.
ZANIS
Too bad for the poor miners
Too bad for the “miners”, ukunyela pa bwali te chisuma. A responsible govt must send a very strong signal to criminals even if the action makes them unpopular and gains support for the PF, as it surely will. Protecting the constitution and enforcing the law are two cardinal functions of govt. If you continue that way, you are assured of a massive vote from me come 2011.
does it have to take a minister to make that annoucement? the chingola police commissioner should have been the one to make that announcement. i dont think the unrest was massive to let the whole minister to be the spokesman
#3 SAMANTHA MUMBA. That tells you how redundant our ministers are. They have nothing to do. Even if there is something to do our ministers just don’t how to do it. An officer-in-charge at the police station can ably announce such a development. The other day Rupia Banda flew abroad to go and attend an Agricultural Seminar, instead of sending a minister of agriculture. Or better still a sitting ambassador of that country. And he flies out whenever there pressing issues at home. BA NKUSA BA SURE.
Our mininsters are mentally eroded, is Lameck the spokesperson fro KCM? This is what ****ing puzzles me!
I smell a rat a big one. Is KCM a parastal? Why should a cabinet minister be making a statement over a private company. Something is not right here. I do agree with Samantha Mumba that the minister was not supposed to make such a statement.
#6 Vintanta owners of KCM have a direct line to the top. However resorting to vandalism is not the way to solve a problem. Normally whenever there are disturbances at the mine, the unmployed take advantage and are the ones that become violent. The unsuspecting miner follows suit and gets arrested because he is not sharp enough to escape the police dragnet. While he rots in cells, the mine will employ some one to replace him and most probably the unemployed who ignited the riot. That is the way it works.
The Minister of Home Affairs is not being fair to both parties involved in the dispute. From my own observation the owners of KCM have become greedy such that they have stopped sharing in the spoils with the workers who toil for their production. Those workers are adults and they know exactly how good the company is doing. The Ministry of labour is supposed to constructively engage all the parties to the dispute. Arresting the workers will not solve the current problem at KCM. Yes we need investors to come with their sacks of dollars but they should not give the workers a raw deal. Workers when they say enough is enough they resort to all sorts pf action to draw the asttention of the authorities. Last time KCM polluted Kafue river up to date nothing tangiable has been heard.
yes this minister has too much time on his hands.Let the mine police ( if thats what they are still called) make such announcements. I just flew from SA to Egypt using my old Zambian passport. Can the minister please comment.
This shows the amont of hate the current government has especially to miners on the copperbelt knowing how unpopular it is. C/B is no go area for MMD. So Bwana minister is very happy to hunt all suspecting miners.
Too many dull bloggers. … u can not allow pipo damaging private property and think its normal way of life. cage the misfits and they will learn a lesson.
iwe SATA # 11 cant you see that something is amiss here, try and read the situation beyond your nose. why should a cbinet minister be talking about vandalism of property of a private company. The protocol here has been breached. there is the head of mine police, the chingola police chief, the copperbely minister, the copperbelt police chief, even the police inspector general, why should the minister stand up
Mangani is dull UNISPIST, who cannot reason. Why not protect the rights of these miners. They surely only asking righjfully, what is due to them. Some of the wages yes, wages these miner infestators pay, iye, are very pathetic to say the least. Their cries have fallen on blocked ear drums. These are intelligent miners, who resort to violence only as a last resort. Try and imagine yourdelves in their feet. I would pick stones to be heard. MUZ has raised these issues with Govt. and they too have not been heard. What do you expect digruntled, hard working but penniless miners to do? Baba, you see the C/B, has degenerated to a pathetic state because of these infestors you are supporting. Its not fair! We also need to eat and be treated fairly, like those unskilled indians, they bring.
RB and Mangani were so worked up over the strike.They do not want their Indian friends hurt in any way even if this means the Zambians who are producing the wealth suffer.What a disgrace, when your government sides with foreigners against their own people. I do not condone the violent strike in any way but is RB and Mangani addressing the root causes?