Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mines Ministry to root out Foreigners taking over jobs that Zambians can do-Yaluma

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Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma
Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma
Minister of Mines Christopher Yaluma says President Edgar Lungu’s directive to immediately investigate and stop Foreigners taking over jobs that Zambians can do, is timely.

Mr. Yaluma says his Ministry will now scale up its performance audit in all Mine Companies to ensure their operations are in harmony with Zambian laws.

He says Government is not only promoting equal job opportunities but supporting Zambians to be part owners of the mines.

The Minister has told ZNBC News in an Interview that government is supporting consortiums of Zambians so that they partner with foreigners in owning mining companies.

Mr. Yaluma warned that his Ministry will not hesitate to advocate for deportation of any foreign mine owner who will be found using derogative language on Zambian workers.

On Friday, during State of the nation address to Parliament President Lungu directed the Ministries of Mines and Labour to investigate reports that some foreign mine owners are using derogative language on Zambians and taking over jobs that Zambians can do.

35 COMMENTS

  1. Kikikikikikikiki ………..some ministers, awe sure. Why wait to act on a law that has always been there until after the President reads it to you? Bukopo ubu.

    • Let them be serious and not just talk about this! We are tired of these guys taking our jobs! Can’t they extend this to other sectors such as agriculture and tourism.

    • Its really irritating that these ministers have no strategy in their ministries? everything is acted upon based on the President’s directives?? its stupid?? The who Yaluma waiting for the President to tell him first??

    • The problem with Yaluma is that he is not practical. That is why miners don’t like him. He says things that he fails to implement. We have been hearing this talk of foreigners doing jobs that Zambians can do in the mines for a long time and the man is busy issuing meaningless statements in Lusaka. He needs to be replaced.

    • Too little too late. These foreigners have been insulting Zambians for years, while you idly stood by and did nothing. They insult Zambians when they pay them peanuts. They insult Zambians when they dump their toxic waste in rivers polluting the water that Zambians use for drinking and more. They insult Zambians when these companies refuse to pay their fair share of taxes, and your do – nothing administration refuses to hold them accountable. They insult Zambians when they destroy our environment with their toxic waste. They insult Zambians when they release poisonous fumes into the atmosphere, polluting the air that Zambians breath, which causes people to develop various lung diseases, while you nonchalantly stand by and pretend like you don’t know what’s going on. You are the enemies…

    • (Continued)… of the people, and have chosen to be in league with these foreign mobs that do nothing but exploit our resources, take all our wealth out of Zambia, leaving gaping holes behind — and all this with all your blessing. So don’t pretend like you’re just becoming aware of this now. Shame on you.

  2. But when mr Kambwili asked the vice president in parliament what government was doing when local jobs where taken up by foreigners, the presidential minister mr Sikazwe rubished him off and that led to almost a fight. At the end mr kambwili was reported to be on the wrong side by the PF newspaper, i mean daily nation. Now the minister is confirming what mr kambwili said was right. Will only develop as country once we start taking critisism take control our views, it doesn`t mean that when you are a minister then you know it all. It dose`nt mean that when you are in an opposition then you are the enemy of the country.

  3. This can never work out in Zambia .This is because immigration laws are the weakest.Organizations meant to protect professionalism practice are also fuctadly weak.Trust me there a lot of foregin masquerasders practicing professionals they are not even qualified in.It is utterly embrassing as to how work permits are dished out.Just audit foregin work permits and see the rot going on in the immigration department.Sorry I forgot that most of the immigration employees are your relatives and children who have no regard to law since you can not fire them.Not forgetting your girlfriends.This country is a joke.EIZ is one good example of a fuctadly weak organization.

  4. Hon Kampyongo and Hon Yaluma, please be serious bwana ministers. Our Ministry of Home Affairs is now more porous than it use to be. Imagine, Karl tires a Contractor at Barrick Lumwana site has brought in tire fitters from South Africa, Botswana and Zimbambwe pretending they are being taught by their Zambian Counterparts. But surprisingly their salaries are ZMK36,000 each whilst their Zambian counterparts who are also their trainers their basic pays are in ranges ZMK3,500 50 ZMK5,000. What is this….ba Yaluma na ba Kampyongo??? Similarly, this mine alone now has more than 130 ill qualified expatriates. But who is issuing work permits to these people, kanshi??? Can you two gentlemen investigate this??? It is very sad for qualified Zambians!!!

    • Morgan i don’t believe your 3rd party story, why would a business pay foreigners at 10x the wages to do a simple manual job plus the immigration and transport fees from SA, Bots or Zim? most foreigners bring in cheaper labour from Malawi or Zim.

  5. Mr. Yaluma, please make sure if this happens, salaries too should be harmonize.ZMK3600 for foreigners and ZMK5,000. for the Zambians does not sound normal. Something wrong with leadership, we put you in power to stand for our people not to dine on corrupt tables with the foreigners.ENOUGH OF THESE NONSENSE!

    • FC, it is ZMK36,000 black South African tyre fitters and ZMK5,000 Zambian Tire fitters technicians.
      And these are the chaps chasing foreigners from their country. How have they been issued work permits when we have lots of Zambian graduate technicians looming the streets. Again, why 130 expatriates on a single mine. Can you do an audit please???

  6. It will never happen. It is just a news . The root cause of these things happening to today in our country where the jobs are taken by foreigners is CORRUPTION.
    NEPOTISM.
    All those who work in government are some how related to one another.
    I cite example of Immigration officials how do they award work permits?

  7. We thought thought these laws were been enforced already. Has the minister only just woke up from slambering. My brother many of the educated and highly qualified Zambians have moved to greener pastures abroad. No one wants to suffer under your failed illegal government when they can have a better standard of life elsewhere.

  8. This minister is a joke, this rot is rife at Barrick, fqm and kansashi mines, kcm inclusive. Any sane person who has been to these mines will weep to the bone. The so called HR personnel are toothless boo dogs who connive with morons issuing work permits to these misfits who are paid colossal amounts compared to well trained artisans. Another weak institution is the EIZ. One wonders why we have such institutions and what the stand for. Philipinos working at kansanshi looks like fishermen and they have been in Zambia for more than five years, what is wrong with these ministers? They pretend to act only when the visionless one says something.

  9. Please be mindful what or how you do it, there are equally a lot of Zambians in South Africa viewed the same way by South Africans

  10. I will be waiting for a comment by Nathan Chishimba, the President of the Chamber of Mines. This corrupt guy will say that Zambians are not productive and that the Mines will make losses if they employed Zambians. The guy does not have anything to say about any benefit to Zambia and Zambians because he is selfish. He thinks he is the only Zambian who can be productive. Its like the current ZCTU who was the other day told the Minister of labor to tell the Zambians to become more productive.

    • Chishimba is a stooge, like his predecessors: Sikamo, Mutati and Hamukoma. Bring back Bantubonse and Brummitt

  11. The corruption in work visas is damaging. Anyone can get a bought work visa.

    Just look at the amounts of Indians you have. Indians are taking over zambia. I know a Indian who only employs Indians imported from india at his shops. After 3 months you find these same Indians with zambian passports and reg cards even if they can’t speak English.

    These PF ministers only take a break from corruptly issuing work visas when lungu farts.

    • Go to Home affairs office in Lusaka and all you see is Chinese, there the problem, taking jobs from Zambians long term.

  12. Guys,
    I’m privy to the investment agreement between foreign-owned mines and GRZ. It stipulates that: “Where deemed fit, a foreign investor investing $xxxx is entitled to YYY work permits for expatriate workers to carry out the operation.” Hon Ministers of Mines and Labour will be taken to court in London.

  13. What a dull minster this tin is …surely you should be wondering how these people are easily getting work permits…do you have to wait for your lazy boss to issue a directive!!

  14. Humans kwena we are on some really low spiritual level. This thing of my land, or my job is just trivial. We are merely all visitors on this planet. We all gonna die and live all this stuff. So my land is whose land anyways? You may answer..for my kids…but what if the kids sell it off, then what? The thing of labeling each other with tags like is a foreigner really is nonsense. That’s why we are really low spiritually…simple issues..we say we Christians, but we just pretenders, why discriminate. Bible says treat others as you would like to be treated……..

  15. The intention may sound good but I’m afraid, as usual, our politicians (and sadly the technocrats) lack strategy to enforce such an undertaking. Most likely, they will send a bunch of reward seeking chaps from Lusaka that can only be compromised by mine owners. Free advice: embrace retired senior miners; HR unionists, etc. when carrying out such audits. They have little to hide and above all, they have privileged information.

  16. I was reading this story to my dad. He gave me a wry smile and said “we have been hearing that story since the 1960s

  17. Whilst doing an audit on these, please consider the following.
    1.) Check the Zambians with qualifications and experience for similar job requirements
    2.) Check when the jobs were advertised and if Zambians applied
    3.) Check the feedback that Zambians got if any
    4.) Check the justifications given for not picking on any Zambian. Usually no feedback is given.
    Its so humiliating for a Zambian with higher qualifications and experience being overlooked at the expense of a foreigner just because of colour. I mention colour here because in Zambia, expatriate is synonymous with whites. Why dont why have black expats from Ghana, Zimbabwe, SA etc?

  18. One Safety manager at Kalumbila Minerals has been reported several times to Government agencies for altering insults and racial remarks on Zambian but the Government has been very quite. This man has fired all highly qualified Zambian Safety practioners for no reasons. The only qualifican this man has is a national Diploma in Safety ,, sure ba expatriate ,,,Zambiia twasebana. Even an ordinary supervisor no expatriate. Ministers work up and don’t wait fro the president to do your work

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