COLLUM Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district has paid compensation of K50 million to the family of a deceased miner Gibson Siachvewenya who died in a mine accident on January 18, 2012.
The mine also provided a coffin to the family to use for the burial of the accident victim.
This is according to a report submitted to Southern Province Minister Miles Sampa dated January 22, 2012 also made available to Times of Zambia in Livingstone.
The mine, which is owned by Chinese, stated in its report that the two parties also made and signed a compensation agreement.
Management at the mine assured the Government that the mine management would look at the welfare of the other miners that had been injured in accordance with the laws of Zambia.
A miner Maiya Wispow, who was injured during the same accident, is currently in Maamba hospital while others have been discharged.
The mine said it had taken steps after the accident that happened on shaft three and has since reduced the productive task each team has to undertake from 75 tramcars to 70 tramcars.
“We apologise to the miners’ families and stopped production for seven days from January 18, after the accident happened,” the report says.
Last week, Mr Sampa gave Collum Coal Mine a 48-hour ultimatum to give him a report on the mine accident and warned that the Government would revoke its mining licence if the mine continued to violate safety standards.
Eye witnesses at the time of the accident told ZANIS that their Chinese supervisor ordered them to go and work in the tunnel where blasting had just been done.He said there was a rock fall on three of the miners and that killed Mr Siachvewenya on the spot while the others were severely injured.
[Times of Zambia]
Portrait of President Michael Sata to feature on the new Kwacha notes that are expected to be printed within the next 6 months.
Maybe the Chinese owners should be forced to employ well educated and trained Safety and compliance officers. It could save therm a lot of money whilst at the same time provide a safe working environment for the work force.
Now what is k50m? That’s my monthly net pay
@ #1, What is wrong with the potriate of HMCS appearing on our currence if the people of Zambia say so and where did you get this? Alarmist!!
YES INVESTORS MUST BE MADE TO PAY FOR NEGLECTING WORKERS. IF IT IS WAS DURING RB, THE FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN PAID 10 MILLION, THE BALANCE OF 490 MILLION WOULD HAVE GONE TO STATE HOUSE
See? is a rumour monger. Ignore him
Is the life of this miner worth K50 million Kwacha??? Is Zambian life so cheap? Miles Sampa is content with this “slap in the face” to the bereaved family? Workers Compensation should investigate and if found on the wrong side of the law, management should be charged with a criminal offence and sent to prison if found quilty!
It is a fair “settlement”, if only the family knew where or how to invest the money…
And by the way, no one can put true monitory value to human life.
Too much cash for a casual miner. It should have been K5.5 thats all. Its like we have a good christian boss at this company. The company did not create the accident – NO. This money is actually five years pay for these nice looking miners – see picture for your reference. I end here!
k50m was supposed to be for those who were injured while the dead person’s family was supposed to get k1 billion
That’s cheating if this is the old kwacha. The family of the decedent deserves more compensation than that.
K50m is nothing compared to life. the company should pay another 50m for the children and ka madam though she will be taken by the Tonga bulls
50 million soon to be 50 pin yachepa.Life is just too precious to be equated to such an amount.
This is really rubbish. 50 million is nothing compared to someone who has gone for good.
Too little what can they do with that?
What a shame, such news is not supposed to be public!
K50 million = $1,000
That is ‘fair settlement? How about jailtime? How about compensation that reflects a lifetime’s of work?
If Collum Mine were forced to pay $100,000 for every one of the employees who dies on their premises, safety standards would skyrocket.
It is all about cost-benefit for these corporations. You have to hold them to high standards, or they will adopt low standards of conduct.