By Tovin Ngombe
Wrangles among the Maamba Coal mine retrenched workers have persisted as negotiations to withdrawal the injunction to secure the release of one billion Kwacha that government paid them have failed.
Despite the two groups seeking Sinazongwe District Commissioner Laiven Apuleni’s intervention they failed to reach a consensus.
Speaking at a meeting held at Izuma lodge on Sunday, the defecting committee that filed the injunction in Lusaka High Court to broke the one billion Kwacha meant for all retrenched workers accepted to withdrawal it.
Mr. Apuleni told leaders from the defecting committee and the legally elected one to inform the retrenches wives and widows that had gathered outside Izuma lodge to wait for the outcome of the meeting about the censuses they had reached.
The DC urged both committees to travel to Lusaka to talk to their lawyers to present the papers High Court to have the case be withdrawn according to their agreement.
Mr. Apuleni told both committees to swallow their pride and look at the hungry woman that have been gathering for the past three days to have the matter be resolved because it had taken three months since their money was held up in the bank.
He said whatever differences they had it had nothing to stop the widows and other retrenches wives from buying mealie meal the stepple food of Zambians.
On Friday Last week widows and retrenched workers wives gathered at the house for the defecting group’s chairperson Boniface Chola to force him to withdrawal the injunction because it had no bearing on the money their husbands had worked for.
Maamba Police persuaded the women to disperse because it was unlawful gathering.
However, the defecting group represented by Chola met the legally binding group represented by Charles Simbanza on Sunday night that they would not withdrawal the case despite assuring the widows after the meeting.
Mr. Simbanza said the defecting group has given other conditions that were not agreed upon in the meeting to have the case be withdrawn.
He said Mr. Chola’s camp was demanding for inclusion of the share from the K800, 000,000 that was paid six months ago to the retrenches.
Mr. Chola said they have their own lawyer and the share of the money that government gives them have to be transferred to their group.
But some retrenches talked to said the defecting group was bitter for being voted out of the committee and have decided to form their own group so that they could continue enjoying the privileges of getting allowances when they go Lusaka for meetings.
Malala Muchimba a widow said the woman wanted their money because they have run out of food and most of their children have been chased out of Schools.
There are 341 retrenches among them 202 have died without getting their money.
Among the 341 retrenches 71 belong to the defecting group and it is alleged that most of the names they have were ‘doctored’ because some were for dead people.
This maamba saga is sickening let some get to the bottom of the story and find out defectors are greed, selfish, and have nohuman face. They deserve to be probed and finding out why they do not want to leader let these selfish chaps be punished.They are foolish, how can they jusitify the issue of starving widows with their so called injunction.
Government should be really probe them.
THAT SPLITER GROUP IS SELFISH & DEMONIC . LIFE IN MAAMBA IS HARD AND UNBEARABLE. I HAVE GOT FRIENDS THERE . THY ARE COMPLAINING LIKE NO MAN S BUNINESS . LET THE CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOL.
I’m one of the retrenches and righly said guys these guys are selfish, greedy and inhuman.I know these chaps as persons and it hurts me beocz I’m in SA, working, but its those people in maamba that I think of.Its bad there, very bad, kids no school, no food.Sometimes when in Zed, I feel unfair to show myself there.Lets hope sanity will prevail, bigups the politician who have come to solve this problem and the committee that fights for people’s issues.