The Zambia Congress of Trade Union has said it has taken great exception to the statement purpoted to have been released by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) in which it called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Fred M’membe’s wife, Mutinta and all those detained.
In a statement released to the media and signed by ZCTU Secretary General, Cosmas, Mukuka, Zambia’s labour movement said that it has a rich and respectable history with their counterparts in South Africa and the region and that it was unacceptable for a national union as NUMSA to issue threats that are international in nature and touching on the sovereignty of another country without engaging stakeholders on the ground.
ZCTU further said that the mother body found the position taken by NUMSA as one in very bad taste and unacceptable in terms of how Trade Unions within and beyond the borders ought to co-exist especially on matters national sovereignty and the due process of law.
Below is the full statement
NUMSA’S THREATS TO CAMPAIGN FOR ENDING OF TRADE BETWEEN ZAMBIA AND SOUTH AFRICA TOTALLY MISPLACED
February 19, 2017
We take great exception to the statement purpoted to have been released by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) in which it called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Fred M’membe’s wife, Mutinta and all those detained. Zambia’s labour movement has a rich and respectable history with their counterparts in South Africa and the region. It is unacceptable for a national union as NUMSA to issue threats that are international in nature and touching on the sovereignty of another country without engaging stakeholders on the ground. This statement is therefore a total departure from how unionism across borders must work.
We are persuaded to issue this statement because firstly the Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) was never consulted on this matter as the case ought to be. As a matter of fact, we know not of any other Union in Zambia that was consulted by NUMSA in this regard. We find this position taken by NUMSA as one in very bad taste and unacceptable in terms of how Trade Unions within and beyond the borders ought to co-exist especially on matters national sovereignty and the due process of law.
Had NUMSA consulted, they should have known that Trade Unions in Zambia and indeed from other countries in the region have never meddled in South Africa’s internal challenges because we have great regard for sovereignty. Trade unions in Zambia have the capacity to deal with issues existing internally and should there be need for solidarity, that call would be made expressly from our side and not externally as NUMSA has done. While trade unions should remain interested in matters of democracy and good governance, as Zambia has demonstrated from pre-Independence, we find it unacceptable to be the ones to demonise what is existing in another country minus consulting colleagues and comrades on the ground. ZCTU would have no justification whatsoever to condemn the South African regime without consulting its counterparts in that country. Consultation must never come as an after-thought in this regard!
NUMSA also ought to know that this matter is before the competent courts of jurisdiction in Zambia as it touches on tax avoidance and non-remittance of statutory taxes to the taxman, Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) by the former Post Newspaper Limited. As such this matter is between ZRA and the Post Newspaper as far as we know unless NUMSA has information to the contrary. We therefore ask NUMSA, if indeed they did issue that statement, to respect Zambia’s due process of the law as well as our sovereignty as a Country.
We wish to remind NUMSA that our core business as Trade Unions is to defend and protect the interests of the working class. In this regard, we call on them to take interest in the welfare of the workers who have been affected due to the processes before the courts and whose interests the liquidation seeks to serve.
Lastly the Zambian Government will be committing an illegality if they are to interfere and stall processes at court and no union should be in the forefront to promote such tendencies. It is also irresponsible for anyone to threaten trade between Zambia and South Africa on account of matters rightfully before the Courts. Under what NUMSA is proposing, it is not just the Zambian worker but the South African worker who will suffer. They can do themselves a favour by understanding how much of trade exists between the two countries and which of them remains the greatest beneficiary.
Issued By:
Cosmas Mukuka
ZCTU Secretary General
And National Union Of Public And Private Educators Of Zambia (NUPPEZ) has released the following statement in reaction to NUMSA statement
NUMSA’S STATEMENT AN AFFRONT TO ZAMBIAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN WORKERS
Lusaka, February 19, 2017 – The calls by the National Union for Metal workers of South Africa(NUMSA) to campaign for the stop of trade between the south African Government and Zambia over the matter of the post News paper in liquidation is misplaced and affront to the values of democracy and good governance.
The stance taken by NUMSA against the Zambia Government is a danger to the both Zambian and South African workers as their action if acted upon by the South African government will mean living thousands of workers both in the formal and informal sector jobless thereby perpetuating poverty among the working class.
The National Union of Public and Private Educators of Zambia (NUPPEZ) wishes to condemn the position taken by NUMSA, more especially that when the miners on the copperbelt lost jobs and the Zambian government was at pains to convince the mine owners from closing and retrenching the miners on the copperbelt, our comrades from NUMSA were too quite.
NUPPEZ would like to appeal to NUMSA to allow the dual process of the law to take its course and further advise our colleagues and comrades to assist the former workers of the Post Newspaper in liquidation to access their terminal benefits. NUPPEZ will remain committed to international solidarity that further the rights of workers and not protect the neo-capitalists.
NUPPEZ further appeals to NUMSA to consult widely with Zambian Sister Unions in future before taking such a stance on matters from sister governments.
NELSON MWALE,
VICE PRESIDENT,
NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATORS OF ZAMBIA (NUPPEZ)
This is the difference between a union that stands for people’s rights without fear or. Favour and one under pf which is scared of the repercussions of going against the dictatorship of lungu. You should understand that mmemmbe is an internationally renowned media giant and so any attempt to restrict his freedom or family’s will lead to international condemnation. Mmemmbe has won international awards which only lungu the dictator can dream about. The Zambian union has outlived its usefulness and is just puppets of the ruling party.what have they done for the working class? To hell
you are i.diot why would a foreign union interfere in matters of another nation? our unions are right. this is a matter of our national laws
ZCTU are now a mere shadow of who they were in the last days of KK’s rule.
They have become a bunch of arse-licking, spineless, bwana-ani-konde, toothless, expired, self-serving stooges who can not see beyond their swollen bellies to realise the important role that trade unions worldwide play in the defense of workers rights and democracy..
Iwe Cosmas Mukuka, you are just ashamed that NUMSA did what you should have done, but because you were sleeping and someone did the job for you. your ZCTU is just waking up.
DO NOT BLAME NUMSA, but yourselves.
The problem with some of you is that you think to be objective if you are a trade union is to always oppose what you think is government/government institutions’ position.
Even when government’s position is correct you still think that for a trade union or opposition party to be seen not be puppets they must oppose and only oppose.
That is why some opposition parties in Zambia has become absolutely irrelevant, such that they talk about nothing but elections and petitions and refuse to accept duly elected government.
What a shame indeed!!!
For your own information, the ZCTU and their Zambian counterparts are perfectly correct, and the guys from RSA are shamefully compromised.
In fact, why a metal workers Union, why not a more appropriate union, say to do with the press?
Shame!!!
I have continue to wonder why a man would wear a short sleeved jacket. Something is not correct in this as poverty seems to be the main driver
Zambian Union are just dull like their leaders in PF. what the hell should he expose his silliness. It shows he is compromised. useless fat man..
No wonder bloggers like @Terrible call you pin-heads UPNDonkeys! Get your heads out of HH/Mmembe’s @$$as and spare yourselves from their farts so that for once you can start thinking clearly. Indeed, only Donkeys can be this stubborn to refuse to have an independent thought or opinion—just because your little god showed at Mmembe’s house to support his equally arrogant wife does NOT TURN A CRIMINAL OFFENCE into a human rights issue! Your Chichi (mutinta) tore apart a court issued warrant, a straightforward criminal offence which will get you arrested nearly anywhere in the world. So how does that kind of behavior turn anybody into a civil/human rights champion. A court warrant is court warrant, whether you agree with it or not!
And now this f0ol in RSA jumps on that and we have…
Unionism as was practised by FTJ & group is dead. Mukuka is just another spineless thief like the people in grz. If this was due process why is grz harassing Mmembe & his family when the Post is a legal person in its own recognition. Mukuka would do this country a favour by protecting the jobs lost at the Post. If the directors of the Post did anything wrong, they should have been prosecuted without ‘killing’ the Post. Your colleagues at NUMSA have seen how yellow you sh!t have become.
As for Mwale & his NUPEZ whatever he’s just another breakaway trying to feast on the dying carcass of this country.
continue:
… people supporting this garbage? My oh my, DESPERATION is indeed a an incurable disease. How is it appropriate for any trade union to issue INTERNATIONAL THREATS and DEMANDS to foreign sovereign State on issues that, to start with, have nothing to do with workers and, secondly, are before domestic Courts? So is this NUMSA loony suggesting that some Zambian businesses and individuals should be held to different standard when it comes to Laws? If this is the kind of culture unions like NUMSA are promoting in South Africa, they should it there. We don’t want it Zambia. We have been down that path for far too long with previous Presidents’ tendencies to interfere with Court proceedings and shielding of criminals. That’s what got Member in this mess to begin with. And UPND…
NUMSA has a lot of issues in SA to comment on. What is so special about Mutinta that some foreigners who consider others Makwerekwere so start issuing threats? NUMSA should comment on issues that the EFF is always raising in the SA parliament.
You forget that you are one of the people that Membe called Bantustan
Shame on this union leader. Zambian workers should protest and stop supporting such unions. Why does it take a foreign union to force PF to stop abusing its citizens?
All Zambian unions died the moment Chiluba got into power. All what Zambia has now are just extensions of PF .
These unions leaders will one be arrested for drawing salaries for nothing from the poor Zambians.
Currently its better for PF to do away with these unions so that poor Zambian workers can increase thier take home pay.
At the end of the day PF decides what to give its workers and no union can control that. The same applies to the private sector, company owners just bribe PF top officials who then use PF police brutality to silence the worker strikes and protests to the benefit of the company owners…
If PF is not scared of NUMSA, why did it do as demanded NUMSA?
You PF id10ts should condemn your PF for giving in to NUMSA.
PF gave in because they know that Mwamba can be history in SA and the embassy closed straight away!
VIVA NUMSA.
Iwe ka Yamba Yamba,
There is absolutely something PF is not doing right for it to compelled by even a foreign UNION and Ka lungu and his stooges know that.
Let me tell what you PF f00ls do not know. Most PF thugs including the president are investing their ill gotten money from Zambians in South African properties and shares facilitated by Mwamba.
I will soon contact Malema to investigate this rot and shame all those PF thieves involved.
@NEZ, I assume that you believe in the rule of law. And the Zambian tax law requires that everyone doing business in Zambia MUST PAY taxes. The POST under Mr. M’membe defaulted on that. It therefore follows that the law should visit him, because no one should be above the law. If Mr. M’membe is as patriotic as he says he is, he needs to understand that paying taxes faithfully is part of patriotism. I’m a big supporter of free speech and freedom of the press, and I’m aware that Mr. M’membe has contributed immensely to the growth of democracy in Zambia. But that doesn’t negate the fact that Mr. M’membe should pay his fair share of taxes — just like everyone else, including you Mr. NEZ . And I assume that you pay your taxes faithfully. I’m extremely critical of Lungu and his PF…
(Continued)… minions, but in this case, Mr. M’membe’s case is indefensible, and hard to prove that he’s just being persecuted for his critical views towards the government. All the international groups calling for Mr. M’membe’s freedom seem to be ignoring the elephant in the room–which is the mountain of taxes that Mr. M’membe owes the Zambian people. Maybe they should start by helping him settle that debt.
@ Peace for Zambia
And you, “…arse-licking, spineless, bwana-ani-konde, toothless, expired, self-serving stooge who can not see beyond your swollen belly…” think that you are impartial, not compromised and relevant?
This is the same as saying unions deal only with union related issues. NOT.
Read the history of unions in Zambia. If you have not yet embraced the culture of reading, ask. Unions are founded on the principle of fairness, equality, and justice.
UPND YOU ARE A TOTAL FAILURE!!!
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST STATEMENTS I AM ONCE AGAIN READING FROM ZCTU. IT CAN NEVER BE FAR FROM THE TUTH AND WISDOM. NUMSA WAS VERY MYOPIC TO ISSUE THAT BLIND STATEMENT. INDEED, WHERE WAS NUMSA WHEN THE MINES IN ZAMBIA WERE BEING SHUT AGAINST NOT ONLY THE WILL OF GRZ BUT THE WORKERS OF ZAMBIA. DOES IT MEAN THAT NUMSA SUPPORTS TAX EVADERS IN SOUTH AFRICA? NUMSA IS NOT EVEN THE SCRIBES UNION FOR THAT MATTER. TO BE HONEST, I WAS SHOCKED TO READ NUMSA STATEMENT WHICH EXHIBITED ABSOLUTE IGNORANCE AND INCOMPETENCE ON THEIR PART. ZAMBIA BENEFITS QUITE LITTLE FROM THE TRADE BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND ZAMBIA. IN THAT CONTEXT, SOUTH AFRICANS WOULD BE HIT THE WORST. NUMSA, EXECUTIVES NEED TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON THE MEANING OF SOVEREINTY AND WORKERS UNION RESPONSIBILITIES.
Numsa has failed lamentably to highlight the blatant abuse of power in RSA… its rich for them to champion the case of a private capitalistic newspaper whose sole purpose is the state capture of Zambia in the name of free press. They have even failed to champion the Marikana issue, their own members, so the poor victims of state abuse of power are recompensed.This is such cheap short
@ NEZ (new educated Zambia UPND ) WORST BLOGGER 2016. You are a spineless blogger who thinks with his legs how can you allow outside interference to erode our sovereignty Zambia is not ruled or governed by South Africa so ‘they’ NUMSA should respect our Country not UPND or PF, next time you will agree when they tell all Zambians to walk naked or they will stop trading with Zambia! This is tantamount to intimidation wake up you partisan blind followers as this has nothing to do with PF or UPND but Zambians as a whole.
ZCTU has got no stamina! Only National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has stamina. Who needs who more than the other ~South Africa & Zambia?
PF must leave Mmembe & family alone. The media is here to stay.
~206~
The Skeleton Key
But mune ulimututu.. shallow minded indeed..
Mmembe is a coward. He was tipped they were coming for him and decided to skip the nation and use his wife as a shield.
This chap is extremely self-centered, who is willing to bring the whole nation down.
He is heartless. he has not paid pension contributions & employee taxes for his employees for many donkey years.
Come back and defend yourself and don’t use international media to fight for you.
You bought time, deliberately taking the cases to court, hoping you could buy one or two Judges, calculating you would get away.
We are in business like you – but we have paid taxes from the start. Cause this is the money the government needs to buy Medicine, Pay Doctors, Teachers and all Civil Servants.
You piece of trash. Be a man for once !!!
The reply from the so called Zambia Congress of Trade Unions appears to be a government sponsored one,.How does so eighty come in ? Trade unions grossly show solidarity with the oppressed.
Mukuka is just another Bemba PF idyot.
Cosmas should not bury his head in the sand like an Ostrich. He knows very well that M’membe’s case stinks of a filthy pollitical hand and NUMSA has correctly seen this although they are thousands of miles away. What a shame to have a spineless ZCTU!
Embarrassed cowards at ZCTU!!! They have just realized that the stance taken by NUMSA,should have been taken by them. There is no denying here that the post owes ZRA,but are they the only ones?In as much as they are being pursued to pay,justice is paramount.You can not be breaking the law in the name of pursuing a defaulter.Even a convict has rights.Fred Mmembe ( i don’t even like the guy) is being harassed,embarrassed all in the name of “recovering taxes”. There is deafening silence from the majority zambians,both individuals and organisations,who directly or indirectly benefited from the post,and NUMSA has seen that,hence their involvement. So what is ZCTU talking about?
Gone are the days when ZCTU under Hikaumba used to have real influence and spine to defend the rights of the workers and the downtrodden in society. With workers (both from public and private sectors) being victimised, you would think this organisation didn’t even exist.
Sovereignty my @$$, why should it take a union in South Africa to see that Mutinta Mmembe is being persecuted and victimised by Lungu and his henchmen and lynch mob? I wonder if they even bothered to call the NUMSA to verify the story and chat to them about their grievances… or they are just reacting to media reports that could be ‘fake news’.
Blind supporters of Fred Mmembe who are predominantly UPND diehards as well as NUMSA and their cohorts are indeed a strange lot. How can a union like NUMSA which is supposed to fight for workers rights overlook the fact that Mmembe and his Post newspaper denied their workers their terminal benefits and other entitlements even before the Post was liquidated. It seems to me that NUMSA is more interested in protecting two individual’s rights – Fred Mmembe’s and Mutinta’s – and not those of the majority of defenceless Post workers. What sort of union is NUMSA?
Todays Unions in Zambia are all compromised…why should they even feel the need to respond?
When did you see mmembe and upnd in the same bed, it’s your i diots pfacists who have been copulating with him since 2011. Leave upnd out of your silly childish nidwemo mentality.
Well, HH/UPND seems to enjoying his (Mmembe’s) “behind” nowadays too! Although Mmembe is only your concubine. He is married to Kabimba/Scott (hard to tell which one exactly) and their dead-on-arrival party. Enjoy his rear-end will it last—for concubines have a propensity to moving on when other greener pastures open up.
Numsa is offering international solidarity to The Post and its workers. Thats what good trade unions do. Zctu is offering the opposite if not urging PF govt to trample Zambian workers’ rights. Shame that Zctu is speaking for the oppressor instead of the oppressed
For your information pwele NUMSA is almost dead in South Africa.
NUMSA is interested in Zambian minerals iwe @pwele mwina klistu talye ntombolyo, grow up and beya (shave) amasako yakumukoshi akasunsunya kakwa pwele so that you can retain wisdom (amano muchimpompo). This is why Zambia is growing poorer and poorer because we have a lot of people abamyanga ifikondo fyaba mwisa (leak the toes of foreigners)especially abasungu.
I don’t even understand the argument. ZCTU stopped existing many years ago. I am surprised that the shell which is currently in existence is mumbling something
What connection is there between MAST & POST? Humble PF00Lish VISION-LESS LUNGU has really lost it!
If U owe me K20, why should I go to your house & grab your wife’s BRA’S & PANTIE5? I even bring my father, my best friend, the cops to grab your wifes pantie5.
F. MMEMBE owns POST
Mutinta MAZOKA owns MAST. 2 different companies with 2 different financial statements.
In any unbiased court of law, PF00Lish Govt will lose. Only problem is just the caliber of Zambian Judiciary leaves much to be desired.
ZCTU is a disgrace to the Nation. You can’t just seat and watch the press being muzzled by govt for there own selfish motives. Kwateni amano
Mr Mukuka u see, in the first place u are there to stand in for Rights just like your SA counterparts. But what u were supposed to do the great SA NMUSA counterparts have done it. Shame… So u want to cover up the gap. Surely Iwe Mukuka are u comfortable with what is going on in Mmembe’s family? U as a Union standing in for Basic Rights, what’s your stance? We know you have already been oil with blood-money from above. We known this. Even told what to write.. Or am i guessing wrong? It is true. Viva NMUSA these guys are effective they don’t bend to Jacob Z like u do to EC. When things are bad they make naked attacks till all is well. So Mukuka pls if u ve nothing to say; let those who can talk-TALK! GO AHEAD NMUSA GO! Fetch water don’t listen to frogs.
useless zctu which has failed the workers. How many workers have lost their source of livilihood since the post was closed? No freedom in the country and you are just quiet. The cost of living is high but no salary increament. Go to hell zctu!!
Numsa decided to fight on Zambians behalf knowing the chronic docility that afflicts this nation. They only remember to act when mealie meal is short.
Mukuka sit down we nkonko we
What sovereignty are you talking about? Only when it suits you? The apartheid government was also sovereign. Did it stop the ZCTU from attacking it and siding with the people of South Africa? Did you clarify with the Boers before attacking them?
Which Zambian with a fair brain does not know that our Trade Unions including ZCTU were long ago bought off and no longer represent the dreams of Zambian workers? NUMSA is dealing with a serious matter in which the Zambian government has shifted from being a truly Zambia-loving entity to a butcher of opposition party members. The elections of last August are still fresh is in all of us if we are normal and thus NUMSA is saying things about poor governance which our publicly owned mass media are not championing! ZCTU and all other trade unions sold their souls to the devil and are no longer relevant to the needs of the democracy loving citizens of Zambia! They have been stooges for oppressive forces based in Lusaka and even overseas!
Zctu should have merely ignored NUMSA because they are just issuing threats that they don’t have the capacity to carry out. As a non Cosatu Union they are yet to establish authority in South Africa.
May be ZCTU should retaliate by giving Zuma a 72 hour ultimatum to pay back Tax Payers’ (Workers’) money. NUMSA will definitely think Zambia has declared war on RSA
ZCTU is as toothless and spineless as SADC. Brave NUMSA is showing solidarity with oppressed people of Zambia. Ecowas in Gambia stood with the Will of the People. Mukuka’s ZCTU is as compromised as the Zambian Concourt manned by Lungu’s Judge Friends. Jobs are being lost in both the Mast and Post cases. What has Mutinta and her children got to do with the payment of Tax to ZRA?Without a search warrant a Police Battalion besieged the Mmembe Family House and harassed,traumatised and beat the Family in the comfort of its home. How can Mukuka justify such violation of human rights. Mukuka should be ashamed of ZCTU’s docility. Bravo to NUMSA and Ecowas and Shame on SADC and ZCTU.
NUMSA should know its boundaries of operations! NUMSA should not pass comments on issues that are in a sovereign state. It is not an international organization to be issuing those threats. If they want they can hang.
ZACTU is right, NUMSA is totally in the wrong direction and they must still be recovering from apartheid disease. simple logic is this; whatever Meembe campaigned to them, the best thing they should have done is first to consult ZACTU before issuing this premature statement, this is not colonial era and south Africa can never control Zambia. Our country has a great reputation which is to be admired. We do not care if south Africa wants to stop trade with Zambia and continue with Meembe and his wife well and good, Zambia as a country should not allow misguided foreign control to control our judicial system.Never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pf rats are too stubborn for nothing.. we enlightend Zambians have advised them to cease personal and illegal persecution on any opposing views. They did not listen. Now that the international community is getting involved they are getting defensive. Bane look deep inside yourselves because the problem lies within yourselves. You are all dull
Just to get to State House, Upnd can invite Lucifer himself to destabilize Zambia. But I am sure the statement attributed to that Boer Union is Mmembe ‘s work.
Fred lost in court when he wanted to evade paying taxes that would have meant a lot to the public in terms of education, health, security and so forth. You don’t have to sympathise with him just because he is up against government by smearing it as despotic. Did anyone of you guys ever learned philosophy to avoid being carried away by simple flaws in reasoning?
Fred would have been better to call government, the police and courts, as agents of media gagging if he had no case of evading paying taxes…
Mukuka the GRZ workers are languishing in poverty no increments. What ve you done ? The previous collective agreement expired in December, 2016 and u are there enjoying contributions from poor and oppressed workers. Comment on your workers and GRZ wage freeze. Shame bwana Mukuka
Dear Cosmas Mukuka
My heart off to you for the timely and professional response to a misguided and off the mark comment from NumSA. The response from you sir, is a clear demonstration of the leadership that Zambia has taken in Southern Africa since independence. We know that some countries in the Southern African region would not like to acknowledge this for obvious reasons. We will take our rightful position sooner than later: Lessons learned. It is these issues that make those who think that Zambia should not build its own a strong army to defend itself look foolish, the comment by ECL that we should just buy Electricity from SA should not even entertained let us do for ourselves what we can do. We have the natural resources, let us use them properly. Our un informed comrades in…
Zani Muone area no Zesco power since 9 in the morning and it’s now 19hrs. What type of inefficiency is this?
…NUMSA think that Zambia is entirely fed by south Africa – Serious. Hence they will use that leverage and shut the taps. This is without even considering the merits or demerits of internal case. This level of arrogance and illiteracy is not only dangerous for South Africa but for the rest of the region. We sincerely hope that someone will advise the NUMSA in South Africa on issue of this nature. South Africa itself sends to jail people medling with tax issues including the confiscation of Julius Malema’s properties. Can any one ask where NUMSA was? Malema lost houses, farms etc on account of unpaid taxes. Where was NUMSA? This level of doing things without thinking or adequate information from loose canon has potential to sour good relations. NUMSA get informed before you open you…
Guy Scot was right about South Africa
In which country do you get a citizen tearing a warrant of arrest from the law enforcement agents. Whether it is rightly or wrongly given. The challenge is in the courts of law. But the story is known by all who wish to know. You have an individual who aspires to fool all the people and uses even the legitimate demand by the Govt and turn everything into some sort of ” press freedom”. ECL called the Diplomatic community in Zambia and asked them to help Mmembe pay the debt owed to ZRA, to date they are all quiet not that they have no money to bail out Mmembe but they understand the circumstances and the shame it would bring on them and their country by such action. They are doing exactly the same in their own countries (collect tax irrespective). Ask NUMSA if they helped Malema an MP in…
South Africans control our economy: All Major Shopping Malls are South African owned; ALL major shops in Zambia are South African owned; All major road transporters of our exports are South African Owned; All Major Commercial Farmers are South Africans; All major Real Estate firms are South African; All major suppliers to the Mines are South African; All mojor shopping by Zambians are done in South Africa!! We have nothing to compete South Africa with: we have Lazy brained leaders, poor institutions at Justice, poor roads, poor rail, poor water services, poor electricity services, poor educational services, poor housing with poor sanitation— we are approaching the poor sanitary levels equal to those of India; we have no national airline, with the local private owned one imposing…
And South Africa provides uniforms to our Prison Services Department!! We lost is as a country when we let immature leaders sell off our prized assets for nothing in return other than smiles and tea for the IMF/WB infestors yearly visiting Zambia to share ideas with their local Kapasos in the GRZ disguised as government officials regardless of the fact they have empty brains!
NUMSA was simply trying to jump-start the dead ZCTU. Mukuka is just trying to hide his shame. He is simply a cadre trying to get recognition from one Chagwa! ZCTU is a waste of time.
Zambians have become too tribal am not surprised that this unionist can say such
…South Africa. The best Mmembe can do is to rise up from ashes and genuinely fight corruption in Zambia because he(Mmembe) knows how they steal. But instead of genuinely fighting corruption, he (Mmembe) uses it to hold political leaders including Judges to ransom for his own selfish ends.
Fred became irrelevant the day he started supporting Sata even when the latter stood for nothing. But on this one, I think the South African unions are just trying to fill the void in our country.
Lazy fellows will always support what is wrong@@ Just when did a simple UNION start challenging the Courts of Law? and when did a foreign Uniun start passing judgment even before establishing facts on the ground? Was Mutinta in order to tear the Court Summons? I s M’mmebe in Order to fail to remit Tax to ZRA? I s Fred in order to punish thousands of families by failing to pay them their dues? he talked too much why is he now hidding? didnt He say ECL was too small to deal with him? what has happened now
Everyone is agreed on following the law and its application but being dirty in approach is inexcusable! Typical of what makes leadership laughable and substandard in the way law is administered by some African leaders is what leads to what others term “meddling in affairs of a sovereign state” by outsiders watching the circus! The whole saga surrounding The Post has malicious undertones and exposes how hate and vengeance clouds logic! Zambians to deserve a place among esteemed world professionals must discard amateurish behavior and act as professionals commensurate with expertise skills they profess to have.
Eh Amama ine, ZCTU does exist? Unbelievable…
The reason foreigners are commenting is because local unions are impotent
UPNDonkeys, who is this NUMSA, is he your illegitimate donkey son or what? And what has an illegitimate baby donkey got to do with Zambian tax issues, tearing search warrants, or indeed trade between RSA and Zambia?
Our unions know very well that govt interference in court matters is the order of the day. PF aligned thieves or offenders can not be prosecuted by the same courts because of being defended by their big boss Lungu. All opposed offenders ends up in jail. Our unions are dead and can not protect any one at all. Post newspapers employees lost their jobs but the unions were nowhere to be seen. Sometimes you look wiser when you keep quiet than talking nonsense.
Unbelievable in a so-called Christian nation
NUMSA is correct to stand with the oppressed peoples of Zambia, and the private media in particular. However, if NUMSA is wrong and the happenings in Zambia do not concern them, why did Kenneth Kaunda poke his nose in South African politics inorder to drive out Apartheid? Why was he in the forefront – as Front line States – and gave refuge to ANC?? The truth of the matter is that what is happening with the Post Newspaper is politically motivated – it has nothing to do with taxes because the Post has been paying more taxes than most companies in Zambia. And they didnt say they had refused to pay, they disputed the figures cooked up by ZRA. However, if dissenting voices are being silenced by the PF government, they go to court and the court process is sabotaged, then the only avenue left…
……for the opposition and private media groups and peoples is civil unrest, taking up arms. No one wants to see this happen, but government is pushing others in a tight corner. Let us learn from other countries which have experienced war. Don’t think this cant happen here. It can!!! As the PF continues to tread on people’s rights and freedoms, the closer we get to unrest.
ZCTU died when FTJ Kafupi became Republican President, today there is nothing to show that Unions exist in this country, but their RSA counterparts are just proving that unions are supposed to be mouth pieces for the oppressed, ZCTU of FTJ fought against KK’ s dictatorship, ZCTU of there after are just puppets and frightened little dogs of the MMD/PF what do you expect from their dirty bottoms? lick the dirty boots of the masquerade. Elo ifipuba mu Zambia fingi, they do not even where this country is coming from and where it is going, they just vomit rubbish in support of *****s.
Stubbornness will NEVER help Mutinta and whoever is backing the wrong doings of Meembe. It is an obligation of every citizen to pay required tax. In the Holy Bible Jesus told the Pharisees who thought they would trap Jesus by telling them that pay to Ceaser what belongs to Ceaser. In this regard let Meembe pay to ZRA what belongs to ZRA and the people of Zambia that is when the chapter will be closed. Then the long nose of NUMSA in other peoples affairs is wrong way of doing things.
Rotten union. People are losing jobs day in day out and we do not hear a thing from you *****. Workers are suffering terribly in this country and this is the only trash we can get from you. Don’t you know that it was ZCTU under FTJ which helped the country from one party state to multiparty?
ZCTU, what are you doing where a lot of workers have lost their jobs in Postnewspapers and we have never heard you complaining that the affected families will suffer as a result of government and PF brutality. Looking at the number of assets declared already, it is clear that the Post is a viable comp[any which can pay the taxes when they fall due. Even the mines owed ZRA a lot of money in taxes and yet they were never liquidated what is different with the Post? Only time will tell.
I did not know ZCTU still existed. It was dying slowly towards Hikaumba’s last days and I thought it finally died. Workers in Zambia have no voice!
To be toothless, spineless and worthless like ZCTU is bad enough, but to condemn a right-thinking, independent fellow union doing the right thing is sickening. Shame on you Mukuka
What a bunch of Neanderthals!!! Can you not see the one you should be condemning is LUNGU?
This matter is like an octopus, its growing tendrils in all directions! It just needs quick action to clear the back tax and then the gov’t has no teeth to arrest. Lets hope its done quickly so people can get on with their peaceful lives.
its good to note that Zambia is limping because of heartless business men like Mmembe who doesn’t want to pay tax and pay back loans to govt. Paying tax is law and an law abiding citizen should realise this. If an educated person evades tax by mounting printing machinery at home and wanting to maximise profit, then he is a criminal and has not place in society.
@ 1.18 APC,
There is no doubt; your language must have been passed on to you during your upbringing.