The Immigration Department have revealed that expatriates contracted at Kagem Mining Limited in Lufwanyama District on the Copperbelt have genuine Zambian work permits.
Immigration Department public relations manager Joseph Siame said in an interview that contrary to assertions, all the 50 expatriates at the mining firm had genuine Zambian work permits.
“Contrary to assertions, it has been revealed that there are no foreigners working without documents at Kagem Mine, all the 50 expatriates have genuine Zambian work permits,” he said.
Mr Siame also dispelled assertions that the Zambian workforce at the mine was overwhelmed by an influx of expatriates who were said to be in total control of the company’s accounts and security operations.
“Actually the number of expatriates at the mine is 50 against 600 which mean that there are about 550 Zambian workers at the mine,” he said.
Among the 50 foreign nationals working at Kagem are 41 Indians, four are Nepalese, four South Africans and one Frenchman.
Earlier in the week, Kagem Mining Limited board director Timothy Walamba warned management at the mine against employing foreigners at the expense of Zambians.
Mr Walamba was not happy that three quarters of the workers at the mine were foreigners who had taken up jobs that could be filled by Zambians.
That is why we are poor as a country if we can have Directors of the companies who do not understand the opera
tions of the companies they purporte to manage, what about the common man on the street?
That was not the point. 50 expatriates are too many. In other countries there is a limit on this, in Chile mines there are less than 5 expatriates. Chile believes that copper is for benefit of the locals and no foreigner will be employed if there is a local similarly qualified.
#1 you are right, this is downright embarrassing. How can the entire Director of a company go to the media and claim that one-third of the employees are foreigners despite sitting in board meetings that provide details about the operations of a company.
This is shameful and whoever made Mr Walamba a director needs to fire him and set the PF Police and Mr Nchito on him for alarming the nation-the new charge under PF government
welcome back booty
50 expatriates, i guess the only vacancies left are for casuals.
Well done to Zambia Immigration for the clarification – there is far too much emotional jumping up and down these days without real facts.
Timothy Walamba and others of his ilk should take heed – as a Board Member his job is to represent the company’s interest. If he wants to make political statements against the company, he should resign. Since his statements were unfounded and could have caused great harm, my advice to the rest of the Board is to expel him!
Indeed, wonders shall never cease…..talk about biting the hand that feeds you!!!
Does Kagem mine honestly need 50 expartriates? I am pretty sure the combined emoluments of the 50 expats is more than that of over half the Zambian employees.
50 EXPAT SOMETHING, AND HOME AFFAIRS GIVES THEM PERMIT???
CAN THE BEERMAN PLEASE INVESTIGATE, WE DONT NEED 50, EXPAT FIMOFIMO!
This is very very shamful to the Chairman who does not know how his company operates
Walamba, next time do your maths right. Get details, and avoid sweeping statements.
3/4 of 600 = 150. Give us the list of those 150 expats. Dont just yap yap. Ati Walamba Board Ponoooo.
Mambala iwe 3/4 * 600 = 450 and not 150. Are you related to Wambala relative to basic maths?
50 is still too much, what expertise do these Indians bring that Zambians cant do.
Mr Immigration Public relations MANAGER shame on you. You even have the courage to confirm that all 50 foreigners have work Permits. It is not about them having those work permits but how and why those work permits were issued. With such people like you in our system this country is going no where. PF is fighting corruption but you are promoting it.
Mr walamba is an outdated political prostitute who jumps from one party to another.
He has been in ANC, UNIP,MMD,UPND & PF.So in order to show that he is working, he goes to the media and make allegations which he can easily sort out within the company.
At one time in 2011 campaigns at a big rally in Wusakili, he started a roll call” ward chairmen, branch chairmen, constitiuncy officials ” instead of delivering the message.
Anyway, there is need to give boards to people who are accademically sound and have a strategic management exposure.
What if the 50 expertriates have unique qualifications and the company virtually revolves arround them?
How about ,Mr Walamba, asking for help from the head of HR to avere you with their qualifications to help you technically?
Lastly,…
THIS IS VERY TRUE, WE DON’T NEED 50 EXPATRIATES AT THE EXPENSE OF ZAMBIANS. COULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THESE WORK PERMITS HAVE BEEN ISSUED???????????????????
So what if they have work permits. What positions do they hold.
Screen them and send all those that are not supposed to there back to their home country.
why give them permits for jobs that locals can do
Thats too high~8% of work force being expatriate! A company like Kagem just needs 5~10 expatriates not 50.
I guess it was a case of sour grapes by the whistle blowing director BUT the Immagration PR official falls short in giving us the actual positions his dept has handed these expat workers work permits. 50 expat workers is too many and nothing to cheer about…
If gov’t wants to reduce unemployment the should carefully look to strengthening immagration rules and regulation…impose hefty fines for starters.
Fun how most of you bloggers commenting here think 50 expatriates are too many. Look at your flags? You are also bloody foreigners outside Zambia. Should you also be kicked out?
Moreover those FLAGS of those countries you are referring to don’t just blindly hand out WORK PERMITS like confetti…the company applying has to prove to the Immigration Dept that the vacancy can not be filled by a local and has been advertised.
I am a diasporan and have worked for organizations where sentiments against foreigners made some of us to move on. Now we are being called back to those jobs. Fact is that sometimes locals are too lax to put in a good day’s work that expats usually do. From my own experience, when you are expatriated you are actually putting in more than 100% in your job. Let the 50 guys and girls be and instead look to whether or not KAGEM is delivering the monetary and social value to the country and society where they are based. That is most important!
Black Mamba
Well if the unemployment rate in Zambia is over 80% …50 expats is too many and those countries you are comparing to; don’t have such a high level of unemployment. This is not rocket science…
How did you get yourself to England? – just because there may be an 80% unemployment rate does not mean that they are qualified for the particular positions currently held by foreigners – case in point, NCCM and RCM – after foreigners left, what happened? look at the deplorable conditions of the Copperbelt, well Zambians started running these companies and they literally run them to the ground.
My point is that if there are zambians who are qualified and can perform – fine hire them, but I do not believe zambians should be hired just because of their nationality.
Gentlemen they backs have been scratched don’t be deceived. The initial fear of expatriates having no permits are true. I personally expected this response coz its easy for them to be bribed. Zambia gone to the dogs. Why can’t we just chase them and nationalise it
You are very shallow in thinking, nationalisation is not the solution, give me two parastatals companies that are doing fine and contributing to National treasury, is it Kafue Nitrogen, how many recapitalisation under Chiluba- MMD, Levy – MMD, RB-MMD and now current GRZ? Think my brother!!!!
@19.1, no one is talking about parastatels, we are talking about investors bringing in their own countrymen, that should not be the case. 8% is too high. 2% is more like it
Instead of police focussing on HH and Nevers Mumba they should be arresting these Home affairs officials here.
Can you tell us what these 50 chaps are doing that no Zambian is capable of doing?
I KNEW THAT THIS WILL BE THE OUT COME. SOME ONE WANTS TO KEEP HIS JOB WHY SHOULD HE/SHE TELL THE TRUTH TO CNPGVT.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING. THIS NUMBER IS UNACCEPTABLE.
IMMIGRATION DEPT MUST BE INVESTIGATED.
HOW DO YOU BRING IN SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF FORIEGNERS AND EXPECT TO CREATE JOBS FOR LOCALS.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ISSUING THESE PERMITS.
HE OR SHE IS 100$ CORRUPT. WATCH THIS SPACE.
WHO EVALUATES THE SKILLS OF THESE FORIEGN NATIONALS?
WAKE UP.
BUT THE SOLUTION NOW IS FOR US ZAMBIANS TO TAKE MATTERS IN OUR OWN HANDS.
Ba LT why have you blocked my friend RAW JIK? He says you arent publishing anything he posts. He is not a Shu Shu Shu.
Do we honestly need 50 xpatrients? for what? Zambia has been a mining giant since time in memorial with a lot of skilled manpower in all mining operations.
Obviously, those permits were obtained dubiously just like the way most drivers obtain driving licenses. They licenses are all usually genuine.
50…so thats all the management Jobs given away. The number is to high and same said immigration minister should be sacked for giving away so many work permits to one company atah, ale landa kwati alewamya. Ba immigration eh ba pwisha Zambia. Imagine if we had 50 expats at all companies Zambians would only be employed as casuals and cleaners, Im disguisted!
Get it people, the guy is not stupid. He obviously knows the employee numbers. But what I think he mean’t was that only a quarter of Zambians are working in same capacity as the expatriates. The rest are casuals. Does that make sense to you.
Ba Walamba don’t be cheated all you wanted was a political mileage coz you for sure that 50+ exparts in one company is just too much honestly are you too old for your position? show us your capabilities and raise people’s hopes and expectations.