This came to light when the committee monitoring team led by Special Assistant to the President for project implementation and monitoring Andrew Chellah conducted an inspection of works at Ntumpa Secondary School in Kasama, where they raised concerns.
A Chinese national who was found supervising workers said he could not answer to queries over works at the site because he was only a bricklayer.
Mr. Chellah and his team were surprised that despite the work permits for the foreign nationals indicating site managers as their substantive positions, the individuals were in fact bricklayers.
The delegation also learnt that workers on the project were being underpaid.
And Labour Commissioner Chanda Kaziya said he will engage the immigration department on the matter.
Mr. Kaziya said obtaining a work permit on false pretext has serious legal implications.
He added that his office will ensure the contractor begins to comply with the minimum wage and other requirements in the Labour Act.
Not only Chinese but a lot of South African whites are working in the mines with forged titles.The problem is at the immigration issuing these permits.This situation is known by every one in government and has been going on for sometime now at the expense of a poor Zambian youth.
You’re right. A Zambian cannot be promoted unless he’s a member of the EIZ but a South African white with their socalled Mine Managers Certificate will be exempt from all this red tape. Even things like First Certificate and Blasting License which are conditions for one to practice are waived for the so called expatriates. Our HR officers are the main culprits. They know how to bribe the immigration, the mine safety department, the pneumoconosis department on behalf of the unqualified foreigners. While a disabled Zambian will not easily get a job on the mines, foreigners who are extremely disabled will be employed without any problem.
There are some rotten groundnuts in the Ministry of Home Affairs. So please, Don’t blame the Chinese and other nationals.
God bless Zambia.
Please don’t leave out White South Africans (Boers), Australians and Indians. That’s the scheme they’re using. In fact, they’re advised which title to use by people from immigration department here in Zambia as they know what will be acceptable. The result is a lot of foreigners coming to work here sending millions of dollars to their home countries. The government should take this very serious. President ECL once issued a statement that he didn’t want any white South Africans in our mines but this has continued with impunity especially in North Western province. It’s ironic that our government wants to create jobs for Zambians but when jobs are created, white South African, Indians Chines and Australians come running to get employed in Zambia as expatriates.
You forgot to include, “Working with the full knowledge of Jona Pombe’s corrupt P.F Politburo” who collect backhanders to smoothen the Chinese paymasters requests.
A little bird tells me Kampyongo is the biggest culprit in this scam. I am told he is minting millions by facilitating the issuance of fake work permits.
FACTS
I was thinking about the Minister but not on those lines.The man is busy arresting innocent Zambians for political expediency and he has forgotten his core duties.As we speak Zambians are living in fear in Mtendere because of “Flaffies”,in Kitwe because of different gangs and our giant midget is busy even monitoring internet activities?The man has failed us…As for immigration issues the evidence is all over including the Israeli they deported from Kitwe.
Sometimes i wonder from which planet these thick necked, big bellied government officers come from? This issue has been there even when your ministers present empty rhetoric of not allowing foreigners to do jobs that Zambians can do. Its like when people are given jobs in government they become blind to the realities on the ground! Chinese workers are in plain view operating machines like cranes, graders,front end loaders etc, machines that Zambians can very well do. Go to Chinese owned mines, you will find Chinese security guards on their gates. What about the Chinese selling Chickens openly on markets what permits do they hold?? Lets stop this empty rhetoric and actually address the real issues on the ground!
While you’re busy accusing government ministers of corruption, a simple clerk is busy selling work permits, a registration officer is selling NRCs to Congolese, a RTSA official is selling driving licenses etc. All these things you and turn a blind eye. The little things are the ones affecting you but you set your eyes on a target that’s proved. Government releases money for bursary but the officer in charge asks you to buy this money and you turn a blind eye. You are not related to the employment officer and neither do you have money to bribe him and so your qualified child can’t get a job and you turn a blind eye but concentrate on a target that’s neither here nor there. Zambians have got a funny definition of corruption.
Ndanje Khakis or whatever you call yourself
When the fight against corruption is relegated to mere talk by the people who are supposed to champion it you cant avoid not blaming them,worse the President even says “ububomba mwibala” what do you honestly expect?There is a serious disconnect between PF policies[if at all there are any or the policy is ukubomba mwibala]and what the PF say,so best they just shut up on corruption and wait for 2021.
What angers me the most is how these fools you call government officials all show up in suits on site pretending that they did not know that this has been happening and yet they are the ones in the forefront of getting these work permits for the unqualified people. There many people who got work permits as shopkeepers and managers in Zambia and yet Zambians are looking for jobs. We have so many accountants and yet all these so call investors are bring bookeepers as accountants in Zambia. It is not just PF BUT has been there even in the days of MMD…..you Zambias are just sleepy cows!
Go to the immigration department you will find bembas incharge ……nuff said.
Ba Spaka I thought you were complaining about people insulting To….s but here you’re making false allegations against another tribe. On the contrary Bembas normally shun uniformed jobs. …the majority are either of Nyanja speaking tribes or from Southern Province.
Its a common trend so DON’T PRETEND THAT U KNOW TODAY, then bowman Lusambo needs to be tamed no need of making tuma funny visits u will find us naked ka!! Chinese briklayer is better than a zambian briklayer so advise them to apply for right position, we shall issue the permits One chinese heavy construction equipment operator is equivalent to 20 local zambian operators in terms of efficiency. A zambian operator will be talking on the phone, will make frequent stops kuyenda kunya , his concubine will visit him at work etc but chinaman no Idle time, ….tiyeni nazo its 1 = 20
ANYOKO
Ulichipuba sana kikikiki you have made my day sad but true bro….
under the same company how many can be project managers on one project.It’s Zambians to blame atLabour offices
Pf govt has created a lot of jobs but immigration department and Our human resources guys are the ones selling jobs to foreigners.Do we need bricklayers.electricians.That’s why the pf is confused on what is happening.Not knowing what is fighting them.The president and his ministers are doing a good job.but the immigration? ???
Why should The Technical Committee on Project Implementation and Monitoring institute investigations? Where are the police?