Extractive Industry Transparency Alliance has called on the Patriotic Front government to ensure it comes up with policies in the mining sector that will benefit mine workers and the local communities in which mining companies operate.
Alliance executive director Mwiya Mwandawande says government should understand that the labour dispute at South Africa’s Lonmin mine which resulted in the killing of 34 miners and several others injured, serves as a lesson to other countries like Zambia on the importance of having a mining industry that does not exploit the locals.
Mr. Mwandawande said Zambia has already shown signs of some discontent in the mining industry as evidenced by the recent dispute at Maamba Collum Mine in southern province which resulted in the death of a Chinese national.
Mr. Mwandawande has urged government to formulate guidelines that will ensure that the mining contracts it signs with the investors also serve the interests of the local communities and the mine workers.
Mr. Mwandawande was speaking to QFM news in an interview.
[QFM]
it is difficult for pf to come up with policies and implement them.please the country now is on autopilot.CNP .L REST MY CASE.
Look at the way KCM mistreats its miners.. Look at how Mopani pollutes its workers .
Look at the way the chinese mistreats its workers. Please take heed before violence errupts like in South Africa.?
And you blame Shamenda for introducing the mimimum wage? Learn quickly and avoid problems. Look after the workers.!!!
Correction. Micheal Sata for introducing the minimum wage through his minister. It’s a crime for anyone to deny the majority of zambians a pay rise that’s not even above the food basket. These labour union, the question is, who are they fighting for? Micheal Sata is no fool.
eeeeeh…….WINDFALL TAX ? kikikikikikiki
Revolution only solution.
Mr Mwiya Mwandawande could you please articulate what you want gov’t to do clearly please… when you state that the gov’t come up with policies in the mining sector that will benefit mine workers and the local communities in which mining companies operate…you are talking about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Labour laws very different issues. Comparing what happened in RSA mine protesters to Zambian is far fetched as protesters in Zambia know better not brandish weapons like guns, machetes, wooden clubs etc in “peaceful” demonstrations.
Its a pity that NGOs like Alliance are quick to take to the national air waves yet they are ill prepared, ill researched and very ignorant to the real bread and butter issues affecting the people on the ground.
We can copy the idea of Social Labour Plans from South Africa – SLPs (google it if you would want to know more)
We tried that before brother. It didn’t work. Socialism as we were taught is just another ism like capitalism except the latter has made more sense than the former.
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