It has emerged that Kansanshi Mining PLC in Solwezi last month awarded a hefty contract to a South African cleaning company, Mr. Clean to provide laundry services to miners.
The Cleaning Association of Zambia has since written to Kansanshi Mining PLC to withdraw the contract given to Mr. Clean Limited, a South African owned cleaning company that came into Zambia with Shoprite in 1995.
Association President Lawrence Makumbi who travelled to Solwezi over the weekend to present a petition to mine management is demanding that Kansanshi Mining Plc terminates the contract for going against Statutory Instrument No. 22 of 2019 which makes cleaning a preserve of Zambian owned companies.
Mr. Makumbi has warned that failure to terminate this contract will leave his Association with no choice but to organize mass demonstrations and ultimately march to State House to air their grievances to President Hakainde Hichilema.
He has explained that the association is now tired of nepotistic tendencies by some individuals who want to give business to their country folk at the expense of Zambians even when the law is clear.
Mr. Makumbi is hopeful that Kansanshi Mine will do the right thing within 60 days and continue on its good path of being amongst the Best corporate citizens in the country.
He said the Association is also demanding that the Laundry contract be re-advertised and offered to a deserving Zambian owned company.
“Our Hope is Kansanshi Mine will do the right thing within 60 days and continue on its good path of being amongst the Best corporate citizens in the country, by ensuring that this Laundry contract be re advertised and offered to a deserving Zambian owned company that will bring pride to our Nation. We look forward to Kansanshi Mine helping the Government build a better image of the Country, as we may be the laughing stoke of the world,” Mr. Makumbi wrote in a Demand Letter to mine management.
“How will the whole world look at Zambians, We Importing underwear washing services? No one will take us seriously, it’s an insult to our Country’s pride and to our Government Leadership.”
“We wish to state that Mr. Clean is a South African owned company that came into Zambia with Shoprite in 1995, This company’s growth in Zambia has been supported by those individuals (Foreign and compromised Locals) peddling and pushing the ugly vice of nepotism. Mr. Clean has been shielded from any competition at Shoprite for almost 30 years at all branches countrywide,” he wrote.
“They are now getting the business that Zambians can compete for at Kansanshi and some individual in the past, allowed them to dominate for 15 years at Kansanshi which we were against and the contract was terminated. Kansanshi parted ways with Mr. Clean 2 years ago because (in part) of the nepotistic tendencies that the Cleaning Association had exposed about 5 years ago. The return of this company at Kansanshi will only mean a return to old ways.”
He demanded, “We shall ask that Kansanshi and Government security wings work flat out to root out this and many underhand methods in this matter and also expose the breaking of the Law SI 22 of 2019.”
And Kansanshi Mining Plc Public Relations Manager Godfrey Msiska said the company will issue a press statement on the issue at an appropriate time.
According to Statutory Instrument No. 22 of 2019, commercial cleaning is reserve for targeted citizens, citizens influenced companies, citizens empowered companies and citizen owned companies as defined in The Citizens Economic Empowerment Act No. 9 of 2006.
And when the Youths protest they get arrested.
Government should act upon this matter as soon as possible, we want locals to benefit.
Maybe the South African company had a better (cheaper) offer than the Zambians???
Let’s face it, the work ethics of Zambians is not the best in the world.
It’s Hakainde’ friends. There is nothing Hakainde and his government will do.
Don’t go ahead with planned protest if the government does not do anything in sixty days. You will just put protesters in problems.
Zambian companies mostly don’t even have a proper system but quacking only. This is a free market anyone is ready to do business with any firm of his or her choice.
It shouldnt be like that. A cleaning company from SA sure!!
That is so comical. HH has invested money into a South African Amalgamated Company that has 7 subsidiary companies, one is a Professional Cleaning Company. HH has NOT done anything WRONG the fact that he is Zambian. It’s just good business and smart thinking.
Stop this nonsense and dangerous culture !! On one hand, you are shopping from Shoprite a South African company, on the other hand you are saying we cannot accept a South African cleaning company. When it comes to winning a contract, an established company is always looking for the best value for money, best service or product on the market and best technology to meet their budget. Where is the law that says a foreign company cannot win a cleaning contract in Zambia?
Go to South Africa, you will find many hard-working & smart-thinking Zambians forming companies and winning contracts from South Africa’s large corporations. These same Zambians are re-investing their forex back to Zambia.
Depends are zambian companies offering the same standard of services at the same price? Then preference should be given to zambian companies.
Xenophobia is not among barbaric South Africans.
Local cleaners wash overalls by hand in rivers, and dry in sun, while foreign companies have laundry machines and driers.
And you want Kansanshi to wait for uniforms to dry in sun in this rain season?
INDEPENDENT OBSERVER 8 & 9
I agree. Your scrutiny and observations are 100 % justified………
There is nothing that HH can do about this. These are just cadres and attention seekers…….
One can tell that they just got beaten due to lack of professionalism, commitment, and maybe their cleaning equipment was even not up to standard….
Cleaning Ass of Zambia
Laughable really
Yes it is sad but the work ethic and commitment to the job is severely lacking
ONLY THOSE IN BUSINESS WILL UNDERSTAND THIS
AND THOSE WHO HAVE HIRED LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS AND SEEN THEIR END RESULT
That said cleaning contract is a slap in the face of numerous local cleaning companies in Zambia.
Cleaning Association of Zambia? Are you joking some of these names…I hope people dont pay a subscription to such outfits your MP or Trade Union can represent you…I mean this is not how you present a argument. Why can they find out what the RSA compamy is offering that the Zambian firms are not offering? The problem we have is that the President of this association may also have cleaning companies and he bidded for this contract,
So we are quite comfortable with kansanshi mine offering a lucrative CLEANING contract to a south African company at the expense of zambian companies?
Never mind what the law says.
Yes i was born UPND and will die UPND but this is retrogressive. Boma liyangane po. It’s unacceptable to ve a cleaner from SA, to clean what exactly in Zambia? That which Zambians can’t do? And iwe chi cadre above – what machinery do u require to mop a floor(it is not a woover & a dryer from the Lebanese stores?)
For your own information, some Jerabos now own some of the top tech mining equipment-Jerabo mwana. And now what more of cleaning machinery – this is change to peanuts, Costain Chilala a Black Zambian farmer used to own a fleet of combine harvesters apo pene pa ka mkushi boyi. So what are all these pf cadres above yapping abt? Above all, here in South Africa we are given tenders/contracts based on “South Africans first” principle. And South African don’t need any machinery or equipment, they jst need to South Africans-that’s there qualification.
Ati Cleaning Association of Zambia. The name itself suggests a lack of seriousness.
@Tarino Orange, I endorse your sentiments
Ati Cleaning Association of Zambia- really. Cleanliness has to have an association?. However, most Zambians to attain world standards of cleanliness is a pipe dream. Its got a cultural and way of upbringing attitude. Environment, Communal facilities, housing, roads, food and general livelihood needs inculcation of cleanliness concept in our nation. So far, that’s absent. South Africa has that element of cleanliness than Zambia. So, Kansanshi PLC are just proving my opinion.
Get aa life my fellow country men and women.. its okay to elect Zimabwean as your representative but criminal for companies to outsource services from South Africa.. Get a life, you cant have it both ways..