Government has launched investigations into allegations that some expatriate workers at Kamakanga Gemstone Mine Limited (KAGEM) in Lufwanyama district are operating without work permits.
Immigration Department Director General Moola Milomo confirmed the development in an interview yesterday saying Immigration officers had since been deployed to physically assess the situation at KAGEM.
“I can confirm that the Immigration department commenced investigations into allegations that some foreigners at KAGEM Mine are operating without work permits and right now a team of Immigration officers are on their way to physically assess what is going on at KAGEM Mine,” he said.
Mr Milomo said if found guilty the expatriates would be prosecuted for failing to comply with the Immigration Act number 18 of 2010 which clearly stated that no foreign officer shall be allowed to work locally without a Zambian work permit.
“It is a serious offence for a foreigner to work without a Zambian work permit and if found guilty those officers will be liable and they will immediately be prosecuted for violating the Immigration act number 18 of 2010,” he said.
He urged all mining firms to comply with Immigration laws by ensuring that expatriate employees were operating with genuine Zambian work permits.
Last week, KAGEM Mining board director Timothy Walamba threatened to engage the Immigration Department should the expatriates without genuine work permits decline to relinquish their positions and leave the country.
Mr Walamba was also distressed to learn that three quarters of the workforce at KAGEM constituted foreign employees doing jobs that Zambians could do.
Animals stolen with our airspace sleeping on the job, precious stones dugout under our noses…employees beaten at will…our rivers flowing year in and year out but people still don’t have drinking water…OUR RESOURCES are being abused by us and foreigners…we need to really examine how to improve flourishing lifestyles for Zambians and how to protect Zambian natural property with integrity for future generations.
To come think of it, how many of us are seriously thinking tens ahead?
The issue is not just about work permits but even the manner in which immigration officers give these work permits leaves much to be desired. May the PF gvt seriously look into this issue. We need these jobs to benefit Zambians
There is nothing to investigate the imigration know how many people enter zambia and for how long they are expected to stay and what business they claim to have come for in zambia and which towns they are based in.The issue is that the imigration is as corrrupt as anything.They dont link the implications of illegal foreign workers with there brothers lack of employment or there cousines inability to find jobs in zambia.Seriously even a simple kamalonda has to be brought in from new dheli or bombwe what is this…I have noted that all indian firms have this habit in KCM its the same as well with welders from india and fitters from rampula ghucha.If the goverment does not seem to be taking any action belive me this year we zambians will take matters into our own hands and that will be bad.
CNP GOVT HOW CAN YOU ALLOW THESE PIPO TO COME TO ZAMBIA AND WORK AS AN EXPATRIATE AND PAY THEM HUGE SALARIES TO WORK AS A COOK WHILE WE ZAMBIANS HAVE QUALIFIED COOKS WITH THEIR DOCUMENTS DOING NOTHING AWESUREMWE. CAN’T BE SUPRISE THAT THE SAME WITH THE MINES. IMMIGRATION OFFICERS ARE TOOTH LESS THEY DO NOTHING. CNP ARE ITS BEST.
ANYANDULE BAZOONA
Ebupuba tulandabo! How can you conclude that these people were allowed to cme and work under PF grz.Do you know when the said illegal migrants come in? It only under PF that we are even hearing of checking out illegal labourers.In ba mudidi, it was quiete as if everything was ok.
Zambia Police pounce on those law breakers. Investigate, what rubish? Simply pounce on KAGAME offices ask Management to provide necessary documentation to support their engagement of those so called experts. If they do not produce the papers, make them pay $10 000 for each illegal employees. In addition arrest those illegal experts slam a fine upon them for administrative costs of $200 and have them deported. Make sure that Police bond (bail) is no less than six months salary of the judge. Failure to pay let them serve quality time in our penitentiaries.
vestiges of MMD were the immigration department was run like a business. the then minister in-charge of immigration would even brag in parliament of how much the immigration dpt had made through work permits.
We warned Zambians about Sata. He is a shame to our nation. No any other president has mortgaed Zambia as Sata has done. Foreigners have disregarded our national laws because Sata only talks tough but is a lame duck. Remember foreigners who do not respect laws have not just started here. Some have come from toughened states and their rulers. When they cant see a president and hear all sorts unpresidential press stories, they dismiss the entire nation at will do as it pleases them. Evidence: Somali killing a Zambian by shooting at point blank, Chinese nationals killing Zambians, Foreigners air lifting Zambian wild life animals at liberty, foreign managed companies abusing Zambians, labour laws ignored by foreign companies etc. Where Goverment does not exist results into a failing state.
You are blang indeed, Foreigners were treated like eggs in the MMD regime! That is where the story begins.
in fact, this should be an eye opener to HE CNP…deport most of these foreigners and have Zedians employed. Employment will thus be created!
THE IMMIGRATION TOP BOSSES ARE HIGHLY CORRUPTED AND SO ARE THE PASSPORT OFFICE BIG BOSSES. TODAY WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF ILLEAGAL INDIANS,PAKISTANIS AND BANGLADESHIS WHO ARE HOLDING FAKE WORK PERMITS AS WELL HAVING AQUIRRED ZAMBIAN PASSPORTS.GO TO FREEDOMWAYSHOPS,KAMWALA SHOPS AND LUMUMBA ROAD SHOPS AND YOU WILL FIND THAT 70% OF THESE ASIANS ARE ILLEGAL BUSINESSMEN. IF THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS IS PREPARED TO ACCEPT MY STORY THAN I AM WILLING TO ASSIST HIM TO IDENTY THESE ROUGES BECAUSE I KNOW MOST OF THE GENUINE INDIAN BUSINESSMEN AND THE INDIAN COMMUNITY AT LARGE. HON MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS PLEASE ACT FAST BEFORE THESE FOREIGNERS TAKE AWAY BUSINESSES FROM OUR BROTHERSAND SISTERS AND JOBS WHICH CAN BE DONE BY BLACK ZAMBIAINS LET US FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY AND GETRID OF THEM NOW
ZAMBIA IS A S.H.I.T.H.O.L.E THAT IS WHY FOREIGNERS ACT WITH IMPUNITY.
I hope and pray that those found wanting should be helped do the paper work and continue developing the national. Lets not be too excited and deport them but found out why and what could be done to help them remain and operate within the law. Thereafter if no effort is not made then deportation can be another option.
This president has made gender based promotions in major security and welfare wings as they uncorruptable as he put it BUT are they competent enough is the question we should be asking ourselves.
In the UK companies that are found employing illegal migrates they are fine £10,000 per worker if our gov’t imposed inequivalent fines…. trust me these foreign companies would think twice of using these workers.