Transparency International Zambia is saddened that Labour Minister Joyce Simukoko has called for the arrest of the whistle blower Mika Mwambazi for allegedly ‘alarming the nation’.
TIZ says as an organization that believes in protection of whistle blowers, it strives to promote adherence to the provisions of the Public Disclosure Act.
TIZ Information Officer Charles Chulu said as such, the organisation feels that the Minister acted in bad faith to disclose personal information of a whistle blower whose identity is supposed to be protected under this Act.
“It is unfortunate that such remarks are coming from a Parliamentarian and a former unionist who is a law maker and understands its provision and the penalties that come with disclosing a whistle blower who is entitled to make a protected disclosure,”
Mr Chulu said Mrs Nonde Simukoko’s actions are a clear deterrent to would be whistle blowers who may have important information relating labour and other issues.
“Such people may now opt to remain silent for fear of being victimized. We also find it interesting that her statement is at variance with the report from the Human Rights Commission. Being a former unionist, the best the minister could have done is to end at dispelling what she called as a false alarm and not calling for the arrest of a whistle blower,” he said.
“Otherwise the actions taken by the labour minister is a reprisal for an aggrieved person who made a protected disclosure and we believe that this is a case which can possibly land her in the courts of law for acting against clear provisions of the law.”
“We would really appreciate if HRC helped us with those findings so that we act but if the workers are being insincere, that is at their own peril because they could lose jobs if we close down that place,” the Minister warned.
Mr Chulu has since urged the Minister and other such elected public office holders to take due diligence and read the laws they enact in parliament.
“We further urge them to act in the interest of the Zambians who gave them the mandate to govern,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Government has cautioned Horse Shoe Restaurant workers in Lusaka against playing ‘double-standards’ on matters pertaining to their conditions of service.
Labour and Social Security Minister Joyce Nonde-Simukoko has also urged the Human Rights Commission (HRC) to avail the Government with its findings on an independent investigation it conducted into the alleged abuse of workers at the restaurant.
Ms Nonde-Simukoko said the workers at the firm were seemingly insincere about their plight despite numerous efforts by the Government to ensure that their welfare was improved.
“Before I met the workers this week, both the labour inspector and commissioner had conducted separate visits to the restaurant and established that the allegations leveled against management were false.
“It is surprising that the same workers who told me that the working environment was conducive are still complaining that their conditions of service are inhumane and Government is negligent,” she said in an interview yesterday.
Ms Nonde-Simukoko was reacting to reports alleging that she had taken the side of Horse Shoe management over that of the workers as working conditions were still inhumane.
Management at the restaurant allegedly pays workers meagre salaries and purportedly uses unpalatable language on the employees.
Ms Nonde-Simukoko said the HRC could engage the ministry over its findings into the perceived plight of the workers at the restaurant.
“We would really appreciate if HRC helped us with those findings so that we act but if the workers are being insincere, that is at their own peril because they could lose jobs if we close down that place,” the Minister warned.
Now what was our idi0tic minister saying? Tho I am a pf sympathizer, I can not support this f00lish minister. why cant she be fired so that we find someone credible not these “bankonka mupulo ministers” who can easily be bought by being offered free lunch. Shame on this stup1d ministerless.
The whistle blower may be lying.
We don’t know that.
Joyce could be right. Stop showing traits of immaturity. Anyone jumping on the bandwagon of blaming the minister before knowing all the nit and tack of the whole thing, is delusional.
From what I have read they are bad employers and have deducted monies from employees unnecessarily. That makes them bad employers and they should be fined not racists.
So grow up and stop throwing dirt on Joyce for no reason.
You need help.
Thanks
BB2014
To say there is no racism at the restaurant is one thing BUT to call for the arrest of a person giving a customer compliant buy a labour minister is unbelievable and shocking!
This calls into question the calibre and character of some of Lungu’s ministers. To think that this Joyce Nonde was in charge of protecting workers interests makes me shudder. Do people still wonder why there is so much casaulization and poor working conditions among the zambian workforce? Or wonder why so many so called expats are employed in jobs that a lot of qualified zambians can do?
A labour minister who lacks objectivity raises concern about some of the other decisions she has made.
This is zambia she has neither shame no morals to resign in the wake of the Human rights commission report.
Mushota’s aunglais has improved! nit and tack. Efyo bakobelenga ku Shikotiland. Yangu eh!
This Joyce Nonde total disgrace
Quality of PF ministers is always dodgy. Just another bazungu banikonde biatch. There’s no crime called “alarming the nation”!
Soo Joyce’s mode of investigation was for to ask the workers themselves, face-to-face and probably with the full knowledge of the restaurant’s management and she expected the workers to respond truthfully? Is she being serious and surprised that this mode of investigation did not yield genuine or reliable results? She is truly a joke and not ‘fit-for-purpose’
She probably performed her inquisition in front of the Greeks and expected honest answers from the Zambians. These former union leaders have zero management skills. Anyway, there’s no cure for stoopidity.
…..Probably ka? There is probably truth or no truth…..mushota is right
I have reliably been informed thatJoyce Nonde and Dorah Siliya are combined a collective weight of 220 kilograms, that is collossal. I mean, its like two landrover 110s combined. Imagine one of thee hippos stumbling on you, is it not total crushing we are talking about here!
Wrong!
Their combined weight is actually 1tonne, so that’s equivalent to two baby elephants.
220 kg is nothing to write home about-especially in combined weight
Lol! Is a Landie 110 also 110kg? Good one!
Am PF put this minister acted against the primary role of what she is mandated to do, and that is to represent the needs of Zambian workers FIRST. That she is saying HRC should present its independent findings to the minister clears utterly baffles me because it shows that the ministry itself never took time to do its own investigations but just paid lip service to this whole issue. Were is the labour office? This minister has shown incompetence and the President should act. We shall not embrace mediocrity and we shall not support foreigners at the expense of Zambians. Zambia belongs to Zambians, umweni doesn’t take preference on your children. #sign the petition.
Mushota you deserve condemnation for your attributes and I wonder if you are in formal employment .rubbish mushota
I just heard from a whistle blower that she is a night hawker?
Horse Shoe Scandal!
This woman is a disgrace in the sight of God and man, may God punish her
And man?
I agree with TIZ on protection of the whistle blower, the minister obviously overstepped her boundaries. I can see now she is being made to swalloq humble pie.. But before I comment further, please avail the names of the Commissioner of Labour and Labour Inspector who carried out the investigation. That should be the new and standard practice these days so that we eliminate UPNDonkey factors (deliberate misinformation, lies, twisting of facts) and debate sensibly.
Some people on this blog like Mushota boggles my mind. Do you have a job at all? You are always commenting on everything on this blog. A PHD, ACCA, CIMA bla bla holder, who spends every second of the day on Lusaka times, what time do you do your job you moron? We are sick of nincompoops like you with water in their brains vomiting anything that come to your mind first. Give this blog a break and let civilized bloggers debate issues and your stupidity.
Nonde Simukoko, I wonder what witchcraft you used on Godfrey you are a very dull person very dull ‘shut down’ place will mean job losses kkkkkk those same hosts you dined with will be out of income once you close the place….so will you go on air to arrest the workers for telling you what the bosses instructed them to say?
Transparency saddened, yes what next after being saddened. Nothing Nothing, usual Zambian rhetoric
No action by TIZ but talk.. talk….and talk is cheap!
If you imagine the labour ministry or the union will work in the interest of the worker, you are very DOCILE/ STUP!ID. When a situation like one at HorseShoe happens it presents an irresistible opportunity for these officials to mint money. I once witnessed a similar situation at a milling company in Luanshya owned by Greeks way back in the 80’s. A director there was head-butted by a lorry boy because these pun!ks refused to pay his overtime. It was a big thing and ministry of labour and union officials got to know about it and came to investigate. They were paid off and the thing died a natural death.
Talk about some compromised civil servants. They really draw this nation backwards .They only want to make a few backs at the expense of national interest and public welfare. They are amoral and it also shows how wickedly they manage their families.
THE DRAMA SURROUNDING JOYCE NONDE DID NOT COME AS A SURPRISE TO THOSE WHO KNOW AND HAVE WORKED WITH HER WAY BACK FROM ZUFIAWU. JOYCE HAS ALWAYS LIVED HER LIFE OF CROOKEDNESS THROUGH OUT HER CAREER. NO WONDER EVEN ECL WAS HOODWINKED BY HER TACTICS. TAKING BRIBES FROM EMPLOYERS IS HER EASY MEAT. ITS EMBARRASSING THOUGH THAT EVEN AFTER BEING AWARDED SUCH HUGE PORTFOLIO SHE STILL CAN’T REFRAIN FROM HER USUAL HABIT. NO DOUBT OLD HABITS DIE HARD..SHE HAS BEEN EXPOSED VERY EARLY THOUGH BEFORE SHE COULD EVEN GO TO ILO CONFERENCE IN GENEVA WHERE THE CAT IS LOOSE..
Joyce Nonde is a total disgrace and Ar.sewhore of a Grandmother with a stale and smelly puss.ey!!
Useless unelected minister representing no one but her extra large Pus.sey!!
Joyce Nonde mouths rubbish against a complainant and she comes back posing with a post-coital smile blaming the same workers. Shocking!
This is very embarrassing for lungu and shows the caliber of his ministers. Very few of lungus ministers have any integrity.
Instead of encouraging whistle blowers this minister threatens arrest all because she was waited and pampered on during her free lunch at that restaurant.
The worst part is lungu remains oblivious to such scandals.
I had great respect of Joyce but iam shocked that she can order the arrest of a whistle blower
And still the Lazy Bum in State House hesitates from sacking her!!
We see some real uncle Charlie black people on these blogs who think because the management did not utter the words “black nigger” or kaffer, no racism was shown.
Just the fact that non of the insults thrown at black workers are ever thrown at people of the same race as them is racism. Fact is it is illegal to use offensive language against anyone in developed countries so these overt forms of discrimination and bullying are banished.
Lungu grow some “BALLS” and fire these incompetent people. You should be disgraced! You hired her!!!
I also want to whistle blow! There has been systematic replacement of Tongas, Lozis and North Western nationals in all of our public institutions and are being replaced by those from the ruling party’s village. I want the Human Rights Commission to investigate! This is more serious than the hullabaloo against Horse shoe! Please act now. This is genocide in slow motion.
Okay this falls directly in Joyce Nonde’s portfolio. I wish you luck in her investigations
Stop being petty and stick to the topic at hand.
Useless creature Nonde, she deserves to go back to her village. ECL if you are legit president of the people, act on this creature
In countries where there is the rule of law whistle blowers are natured trusted and subjected to the justice system. In a country where you have leaders who do not know whether they are leaders or followers or even where these leaders do not know whether they are going or coming the whistle blowers are mistreated and not valued at all. This minister he/she must resign because she is a danger to the society. She must also explain under what circumstances must a whistle blower be arrested?
Ka Mushota have you read the Facebook posts the owners wrote to Mwambazi for you to jump to support wrong things.
I don’t know what is wrong with us black people. These f***s mistreat and discriminate against us in their countries… If that’s not bad enough, we allow them to come to our countries with their superiority complexes and let the same s*** happen… And to top it off, we f****** defend them as well. As in the case of this sorry of an excuse “minister”… People Will only ever treat you the way you allow them to treat you. I’m tireeedddd of this rubbish
Charity begins at home! If we don’t respect each other as citizens irrespective of where you come from or which political party you support, no outsider will respect us! Good luck!
I get the sense now! The Whistle blower must be one of those bitter trouble makers from UPND and so should not be taken seriously and should be arrested – according to the Nonde wisdom!
Tongas yaba….
I only have bad words for this so called minister. I have failed to imagine how her brain functions coz her behaviour is below that of a person to call a minister. This ministry has always failed Zambians.