The Old Chowa Manganese Mine in Chisamba district in Central Province has been closed indefinitely, and six 30 ton tipper trucks laden with manganese ore have been impounded.
Central Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Chanda Kabwe, ordered for the closure of the mine last week and handed over two Chinese nationals to the Immigration Department, after they failed to produce any legal documents to support their activities.
And Mr Kabwe said he is disappointed that while the provincial administration is inviting investors to invest in the various sectors of the economy, there are still some people who want to use short-cuts.
He observed that while the volume of production has increased, the Chinese nationals involved in the extraction of manganese deposits at the old mine, do not have any legal documentation to back their activities.
He said his office will ensure that proper investigations are done to establish want could have led to the current situation.
The PS was incensed that explosives are being used at the mining site with no evidence of anyone having a license to handle the devices.
He expressed worry that the use of explosives can cause a disaster to the local people, adding that the mining regulations permit, that for anyone to handle these devices, one must be trained and have a license to do so.
Mr Kabwe was further angered that the workers found at the site were not even in protective clothing, did not possess signed work contracts, and neither did they know their contractual salaries.
He added that while the province is looking for investment that to support the local people, it is the duty of government and the provincial administration to protect them from unscrupulous investors.
The PS threatened that the two Chinese nationals found at the site will be deported should they fail to produce relevant documents to justify their activities.
Good job, I wish others were thinking like you
What good job,they are supposed to be arrested ,prosecuted, if convicted sentenced then after saving their sentence deported.I can assure you they will be back 2 weeks after being deported doing the same thing.PF should just go even dealing with simple things they have failed..
On the copperbelt, plenty Chinese operate small smelters without licenses from Ministry of mines. They process stolen copper ore from Jerabos & export it without paying a single Ngwee in taxes.
Police are in their pockets. They’ve taken advantage of a lack of an effective government.
Most of them have no work permits and even their tourist visas have expired.
Most Chinese have no respect for the law. A Zambian can’t dare do such a thing in China.
This is what Zambia has come to. These Chinese criminal elements have seen that the Zambian leaders don’t care about what’s happening to the country, or enforcing the laws. And worse still, these Chinese criminal elements are being supported and protected by corrupt Lungu. These criminals should’ve been arrested and sent to prison first, before getting deported. Just handing them to immigration is sending a bad message to other would be Chinese criminals. Why don’t you PF leaders get it? Why are you allowing foreigners to be breaking the laws in the country with impunity? A Zambian would be sentenced to death if he was arrested doing anything close to this in China. But you let these Chinese criminals do whatever they want in Zambia. And when you arrest them, you just give them a…
… slap on the wrist. What’s wrong with you? No wonder foreigners laugh at us Africans. You’re traitors every last one of you. You all need to get fired before Zambia gets overrun by foreigners. We know Lungu doesn’t care what the Chinese do in Zambia, but there should be some among you who are patriotic enough to know that you only have one country. And if you foo1ishly hand it over to foreigners to do whatever they want, you’ll have no country left. Wake up and do the right thing !!!
What, mining without licenses, can you do that in China?
Cochrr…..only in Zambia, where even the President has given up saying the Cochrr are unstoppable.
Is that not xenophobic? Kudos ain’t going to start jumping in the street in solidarity with Chinese masters?
That is the problem with black Africans and Zambians in particular…too welcoming of foreigners. That is how the whites were welcomed and danced for until they took all the land and enslaved you. Places with aggressive inhabitants to foringners don’t get colonised easily.
It should be a duty of every Zambian to enquire what a forigner is going in your country to protect it, but instead we have bought up PF rats with like ka Nathan chanda marching in solidarity with foreign takeovers in Zambia.
Deported? They should be imprisoned first then deported after serving time for illegal activities
Good job Zambian officials now arrest even those Chinese found doing retail trade in chicken .Illegal Chinese miners are also being caught and jailed in Ghana.
These Chinese have the full backing of State house.
If people have grievances, direct them at Lungu and his groupies.
Ati Investors more like investors to me, the roaches that this man brought because of desperation, we are in trouble
There will be an instruction from Lusaka to have them released. These illegal miners have connections which Chanda Kabwe doesn’t know about
Good job but why not prosecute,jail or fine heavily before deportation. Why should deportation be a solution to these foreign law breakers? Deportation should only be done after deportation.
Sorry ..deportation after prosecution and serving a sentence.
Ba LT , the picture above is for a different incident! Where are the Chinese?
Well done PS Kabwe, Please make sure you see these Chinese off to there country and never let them enter Zambia again including there great great father’s.
I hate to sound cynical here but we are now in schmooze mode as we approach 2021. My question is how long has his been going on? Very simple question and I am sure instead of answers there will be theories, insults and vote downs.
To come to think of it kalok you are very right.
China has no standards. They’ll rape and wreck Zambia with impunity!
Zambia is the new animal farm where Lungu and the Chinese are more equal than others.
That is the problem with black Africans and Zambians in particular…too welcoming of foreigners. That is how the whites were welcomed and danced for until they took all the land and enslaved you. Places with aggressive inhabitants to foringners don’t get colonised easily.
It should be a duty of every Zambian to enquire what a forigner is doing in your country to protect it, but instead we have bought up PF rats with like ka Nathan chanda marching in solidarity with foreign takeovers in Zambia.
I personally feel that the main issue here is that nani walilemo? these chines colleagues of ours did not just drop from some where come and start mining on that land. in the first place that land could either belong to the council or under a chief. secondly there people living in that area and believe it was any other Zambian doing that we would have witnessed a lot of fighting as to who owns that land. i do not blame the chinese but Zambians who live there because they have helped our colleagues to follow the right procedures to establishing a mining company because with correct procedures put in place that is a good investment for the local people which is put to good use it can bring development in that community. there was nothing illegal during then primitive age until such a time a…
Vibrant…what gibberish are you uttering? There’s nothing illegal about what the Chinese are doing? Some of you Zambians are just plain foooolish. With people like you, no wonder Africa was colonized. Such foooolish thinking. Foreigners should follow the law of the land. If you sir went to China and did what these Chinese are doing in Zambia, they would immediately execute you. And here you’re shamelessly defending these criminals. This is illegal activity, meaning they’re not following any safety laws, nor do they care about paying taxes from the proceeds. They’re breaking the law of Zambia. They’re committing a crime.They think you Zambians are stup1d…that’s why they do stuff like this. Because of people like you and Lungu defending and protecting them.
PS Chanda Kabwe will soon be fired by ECL for exposing the Chinese. Top gov. and pf people know what these Chinese chaps and they were sharing the money from the mine. Otherwise how did the Chinese know about this mine?
I go to china from time to time.
The moment you step at airport you realise you limits
Let us blame ourselves for Chinese lawlessness because in china they fear their laws.
Chinese are very good people unless you are not travelled
BA CHANDA PLEASE COOL DOWN.
YOU CAN NOT DEPORT THEM IF THEY HAVE WORK OR RESIDENT PERMITS BUT
CHARGE THEM IF THEY DON NOT HAVE PERMITS TO HANDLE EXPLOSIVES.
Where is the story about the Power Tools accident? Is someone trying to pull wool over eyes? Has someone been paid to remove it in order to conceal bad publicity?