Government has directed that non-Zambians immediately cease to perform human resource functions.Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda made the announcement during a media briefing in Lusaka today.
Mr Shamenda said he has also observed with concern that non-members of the Zambia Institute of Human resource management are performing human resource functions in various companies across the country.
Mr. Shamenda stated that after numerous interactions with various companies,it has come to the attention of the ministry that most companies with foreign human resource personnel do not understand the labour laws of the country.
He has also disclosed that his ministry has in the recent past received several complaints from employees engaged in various undertakings operating in the country concerning the use of abusive language, ill-treatment and verbal abuse, discrimination and racial remarks by managers, supervisors and employers.
Mr. Shamenda has since warned that government will not hesitate to act decisively in situations where persons are found guilty of bad practices.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shamenda has stated that while majority of companies are complying with the revised minimum wage, his ministry is aware that some few companies are not yet complying with the Statutory Instrument.
Mr. Shamenda has since called on companies that may not have the ability to pay to approach his ministry for determination of their capabilities.
[QFM]
long overdue
A great idea, but why “with immediate effect”? Why not give them time to hire the right people? There is a small matter of giving notice. Everyone has the right to that. Including foreigners.
Ubu bwena bushili ba shamenda.This is promoting discrimination.People should be employed on merit whether foreign or local.Amano ububi.
Good Move, others here are just yapping without good well meant intentions, Guys if u step out of Zambia, u will see that some of these functions are not given to fereigners, If you were to visit Fortune Foods at Manda hill, the guys running debournaires and other food restaurants, U will find Boer-South Africans and indians without qualifications in the accounts department…If you this i am joking send immigration and ZICA there???
viva Zambianisation
Yaguwa!
Now you are working…keep it up..!
Mr. Shamenda why restrict this to only Human Resources, there are other functions that are being performed by foreigners which could be ably handled by Zambians. Point of correction, it is not only foreigners who use abusive language or ill-treat employees.
I agree 100%
Foreigners are now mechanics, operators, storemen and even chefs and yet Zambians with similarand even better qualifications are languishing in the streets. We wonder how they get work permits. Corruption at immigration.
Longwani, I am in total agreement with you. Having indegenous HR Managers will not alleviate the plight of the Zambian people. I have worked in organisations where the HR Managers are Zambians and their understanding of HR practice are pathetic! The solutions lies in ensuring that HR people abide to ethical standards. If you look at the legal and medical fraternity they are well regulated by their institutions – not government. All professional associations in Zambia need to regulate their professionals, this extends to ZICA, ZIM etc etc… The Ministry of Labour also need to act on reports of violations in the workplace be it from Zambians or foreigners as opposed to playing court to the media. The labour commissioners are too lazy and corrupt thus rendering themselves ineffective.
welcome move will keep on hunting them
That’s the way to go VIVA SHAMENDA
It is amazing how this PF govt is retrogressive and backwards…. all ZIHRM need to do is to ensure whether zambian or foreign are registered to practice n the country. This is 12st century and you need to learn best practices across the globe to improve our way of thinking. Professionals can practice anywhere as there is nothing difficult about understanding local labour laws. Many Zambians accuntants and HR professionals practice in different countries as long they registered with both respective bodies. Are you tellig me that it will fair if these countries sent them back beacuse they are not professionals? ZIHRM is a lazy organisation which thrives on PHD’s, patronage and infighting. Let ZIHRM learn from ZICA and other accounting bodies how to run institutions professionaly.
I …meant 21st Century…. in the other setence also shud have read ‘ wil it be fair if they sent back because they are not locals?
Agree..big backs demands head hunting talent. If I use the current politicians as a sample of ‘elite ‘ Zambians will not recruit any credible Human Resource Director. Look at Zambia Airways and Zambezi…the best of Zambian business. No will not touch!
Nampundu, I totally agree with you. If that was the case, most of us would have been sent back home. Mr Shamenda actually sounds racist by pointing out that foreigners should stop performing HR functions. It should not really matter whether someone is a foreigner or local, as long as they are qualified to do perform those functions, they should be allowed to do so. If Zambia Institute of Human resource management wants all HR personnel in Zambia to be registered with them, its up to them to police it. Zambian leaders should start thinking outside the box, they behave as if they don’t travel abroad and see how things done. We are now in a global village and everyone should just deal with it.
You are dull!, Come to the UK and see how many restrictions are placed on foreign workers!
Nampund correct.
WHAT IF OTHER NATIONS RECIPROCATE AND WIDEN THE NET TO OTHER PROFESSIONALS. LIKE KENYA.
I agree NAMPUNDU, been an ACCA FIA student I understand what ure talking about.
Shamenda just needs to make sure these people re registered to work in eg EIZ, ZICA……etc & other proffesional bodies & understands labour laws in Zambia.
Thats how a proffesional like Shamdenda with so much experience should handle such cases, he also needs to look at other people who will be affected by his decision.
Thats whats up. bigup mr boma
Talk talk talk no action! Zambians are abused by foreigners through and through and nothing has changed and nothing will change. How many girls are being abused by Lebanese and Asian shop owners? How many Zambians are being under payed over worked by most of these foreigners! Government is weak and in most cases sides with foreigners because they have money and can buy their way out of any situation!
Well it takes two to tango these bitches really like money.ever thought of that before making f….. Assumptions you moron of a racist.
Ba Shamenda … even ICT; we can do without expatriate IT specialists. This way Zambians shall quickly learn how to stand up on their own.
Give these expatriates a well defined time-line to start handing over the system to Qualified Zambians, like has been done in most of the North African Countries where their focus if to empower Zambians through training, and definitely leave the system to us once this is done.
Zambia has produced enough IT Managers, Administrators, Specialists, Advisers and Officers for us to have foreigners always practicing that; with no high priorities being given to qualified Zambians.
Your point is valid mulenga but the problem is the organisations promoting ICT in this country and the government off course we have people who are very qualified to do the job but u will find that most of the ict work especially with the isp is done by non zambians
Remember the win beeg MTN promotion?This is one of the reasons Zambians are not employed in some positions.We envy thieves and wish we were in there positions.
The win beeg has nothing to do with employing zambians in certain position.
If so then companies like oriental should be sorted out who are currently using a foreigner.
This is the way to go Mr Shamenda big up boma but this should not just be rhetoric but we need some people to monitor and implement this is long overdue.Foreigners should not come into our country and take up jobs which Zambians can do.Zambian workers also should be encouraged to report abuses at the hands of ba mwisa. The only problem we have is the MUZUNGU ANIKONDE especially IFINA CHIPATA too much utulo fimbuli.What surprise me is this were by even a very small take away at Kapiri LK filling station were our sisters sell ifitumbuwa and the like you find bamwenye supervising and shouting at our poor ladies poverty nayena we don’t know if someone from labor office has seen this. Let us correct the mess.I can not go and be a supervisor in United Kingdom at the expense of Britons
True
If I were you Mr. Shamende I was going to say: for a foreign company, it is 30% expatriate in top management, in middle management all zambians unless we don’t have a qualified person and there should not be more than 5%, in operations and general workers all zambians.
Well done mr minister especially companies owned by asians, but mr minister when did you last visit your constituency? becoz i can see it is now from worse to the worst your people have not yet seen your promises
But twatukwana by these foreigners. Like it not our country sure? May be tulifisushi.
Mr Shamenda, when are the labour inspectors going to inspect if companies as well as organizations are adhering to the new minimum wage and see the conditions of service for employees? People are busy working and they continue to get peanuts, that’s really unfair and inhuman. Let the Labour Commissioner deploy inspectors across the country and see what goes on in these companies as well as organizations.
I hope they will monitor and re in force the “rule”
Too talkative to deliver services to the nation. Hunger is looming, fuel shortages is all over the nation and Zambians are now queing in shops again. Just deliver services instead of endless, fruitless press statements.
The move is not ok what should be done is too make sure that all practicing HR functions or any other work are registered members of the professional bodies and are approved the by respect agencies
Ba PF please soveni insala and leave ifya ma human resources alone. Cnp sure and lack of priorities
These foreigners are really insulting us. Go to Lumwana, Kansanshi. Check on the Greeks, Indians and these so called whites with small companies in Northwestern, Copperbelt and Lusaka. They call us or sorts of names and insults us.. When we report , nothing happens. Labour officers are just paid money by the same insulters. Immigration is toothless. Bushe ifwe tuli fisushi ?
This coming from a man who sent his kids to expensive schools run by foreigners in Zambia and sent them abroad for further education….his kids better not take up HR jobs coz they r as good as foreigners.Bloody nonsense!!!! instead of banning foreigners use other approaches if u feel there is a problem e.g Any HR Manager should undergo exams concerning Laws in Zambia.
Well done Zambia, I really admire you for that. In my country Indians are now security guards and Chinese run photo-shop and copy centers,fish and chips shops that my people can do and our lousy ministers are busy saying its bloody investors. We as Africans are not allowed anywhere else to open companies such as these and sell chips in the street and yet in Africa everyone is okay with it.
This is okay. Such laws exist even in countries like the UK. You can’t just immigrate to do just any job. Only people with qualifications that are in short supply get work permits.
Thumb up Mr. Minister. Most of these employers have no Human Resource Officers and they do that themselves and tell their employees that they don’t get sick, no attending a funeral and no mother’s day for the women folks. Surely our fellow Zambians are suffering at the hands of these foreigners coz where on earth can u say that u dont have to be sick and u dont have to attend a funeral.
Well done Minister and keep it up.
This is a great move! I was not allowed to work as Head of HR in Europe despite having high qualifications and skills in the proffesion beacuse i was not a local. I was denied a number of opportunities. Why should non Zambians practice here?
The Heading of this article sounds xenophobic. What would you do if a Zambian human resource practitioner contravenes any of the applicable statutes in this regard? Government should just strengthen enforceability of the relevant laws and punitive measures.
Good move wish our south african government would also kick out all the mllions of foreign african workers out of SA