The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has commended government for blocking Konkola Copper Mines’ (KCM) plans to dismiss 2000 workers in the Copperbelt.

KCM last week announced its intention to lay off 2,000 from its current 8,263 workforce citing falling copper prices in the last one year and macroeconomic trends suggesting that the commodity will remain depressed.

Government has since opposed the decision and engaged the mining company over the matter.

In a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today, ZCTU Secretary General Roy Mwaba says it was unacceptable for KCM to retrench 2000 workers when government is working hard to create jobs for Zambians.

Mr Mwaba said the union is happy that government has acted quickly to block the mining company’s plans because the move would throw thousands of families into poverty and misery.

Mr Mwaba said ZCTU was comforted by government’s stance that no miner would lose employment at the mine.

He said the union supports efforts being made to promote dialogue among the KCM management, trade unions, government and other stakeholders to ensure that KCM’s plans do not go forward.

The ZCTU Secretary General advised KCM to centre its efforts on improving infrastructure on the Copperbelt instead of announcing plans to lay off workers.

“We are highly suspicious that despite all the reasons KCM is giving over the company’s intention to retrench 2000, the company simply wants to send a message to government to register its protest over the recent increase in fuel prices and impending electricity tariffs hike by ZESCO,” he said.

He affirmed that the union will never support any moves by any company to lay off workers thereby worsening the already high levels of unemployment in the country.

ZANIS

Acting President Edgar Lungu has issued a statement stating that from today going forward, student would be held responsible for any property that is damaged during the riots. According the the statement, Government will either deduct the cost from students bursaries or use other means to recover the costs.

“Recoveries will be done through managements of the responsible institutions. In this respect, if students involved are not singularly identifiable, then the whole body mass of students will be subjected to contributions toward the recoveries,” read the statement.

Below is the full statement

REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

PRESS RELEASE

UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA (UNZA) STUDENTS AND OTHER HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS UNRULY AND RIOTOUS BEHAVIOUR

In view of the students’ riotous behavior which has recently characterized and rocked our institutions of learning concerning the removal of subsidies on maize and fuel, I wish to state that government is not in support this behavior as a way of airing their grievances.

As government, we have always advised students to find amicable ways of resolving issues on which they feel aggrieved such as designing a forum and inviting government representatives and indeed other stakeholders to explain on matters of concern unlike taking to the streets and destroying property belonging to innocent Zambian citizens.

In this vein, students will from today and on-wards take responsibility for all damaged University or College property as well as private property by recovering from them costs of all such damaged property through their bursaries or any other means available, in addition to prosecution. Recoveries will be done through managements of the responsible institutions. In this respect, if students involved are not singularly identifiable, then the whole body mass of students will be subjected to contributions toward the recoveries.

Our desire as government is to inculcate a culture of adherence to law and order as well as engaging government by dialoging on contentious matters in a way that does not endanger lives or property of innocent members of the public. Students should understand that they went to school to learn and not to cause confusion or lawlessness.

Further, I wish to advise students that government is open to dialogue and as such, we implore them to design forums and invite government officials or their representatives to discuss contentious issues such as government’s position on subsidies.

Students’ Unions in these institutions are therefore called upon to take their position of responsibility seriously and ensure that no student is left alone, to run amok on matters which do not have any benefit to the cause of the students in advancing their core business of study.

I wish to underscore that this is a government decision, made by cabinet at its sitting held on 20th May, 2013 but being made public the 27th day of May, 2013, in order to put the position of government beyond doubt in view of the growing worrying trend of students taking to the streets and in the process inconveniencing the innocent public every time a call for them to do so is made, even by people who are completely strangers to their reason for being in these institutions of learning.

Hon. Edgar Lungu, MP
ACTING REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT

27th May, 2013

DEFENCE minister Geoffrey Mwamba has wondered why some media institutions were making an issue out of his comments on differences among couples and want to portray him as though he has differences with his wife.

Speaking in Kasama when he officially handed over a convert he and is family personally built worth KR 498 000 for the Kasama diocese at St. Johns parish, Mr Mwamba said that differences in home were a reality and that he will never leave his wife.

“Differences are inevitable in home, once a while people “pinch” each other or differ in homes and this is reality. I have been married to my wife Chama for 36 years and I will never laeve her,” Mr Mwamba.

Mr Mwamba appealed to the church and the people of his constituency to pray for him for wisdom as he serves in Government and represents them as Member of Parliament. He further urged them not to hesitate to advise him whenever he is wrong.

“My family and I decided build this house for the church, because Kasama is our home and we feel obliged as a family to do so, I ask you to pray for me for wisdom. You are the people that made me what I am today, if I don’t respect you then am nobody ” Mr Mwamba said.

The minister also donated KR 100, 000 to Kasama dioceses for archbishop Ignatius Chama to use to help the vulnerable.

The minister also gave KR10, 000 each to the four priests that were ordained on Saturday to help them settle down to their various parishes they have been posted to.

And Bishop Chama thanked Mr Mwamba for assistance he had rendered to build the convent for sister of the young child Jesus Christ after the old convert was burnt last year in April.

He urged the congregates and the people in general to imitate Mr Mwamba’s spirit of giving.

President Michael Sata has opposed the introduction of a US$10 tax on air tickets purchased by travellers leaving or entering the African continent as a measure to help fund the African Union-AU.

ZANIS reports from Addis Ababa that the air ticket tax was among the proposals contained in the progress report of the AU High-Level Panel on Alternative Sources of Funding, chaired by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo.

The air ticket levy was among the two proposals suggested by Mr Obasanjo’s panel during a meeting held in Addis Ababa today,

The second option suggested by the Obasanjo panel was to introduce a US$2 hospitality levy applicable on all hotel accommodations within Africa.

Discussing the progress report during a meeting today, President Sata said Zambia has overpaid her contribution towards the maintenance of the African Union and all other Organisations to which she is a member.

He noted that apart from the AU, Africa is still faced with a lot of problems ranging from poverty, girl child education and unemployment among others.

[pullquote]“If the AU is running short of money, let us know how much they want us to contribute, we will not let Zambians or outsiders be levied”,  he explained.[/pullquote]

“ What we have to bear in mind is that apart from the AU, we have more problems in Africa, and these problems , yesterday we heard about people not going to school, poverty, problems of the girl child and when you are suggesting US$10, that is a lot of money because Africa still has a lot of problems of emancipation,” said President Sata.

He called on the AU to come up with ways to minimize expenditure for member countries by suggesting levies for particular programmes instead of levies on hotel accommodation and air tickets.

“ If the AU suggest a levy that they want us to pay for a particular programme we will pay, but not giving you levies because we are not going to levy anyone,” Mr Sata said.

He explained that Zambia is working towards promoting her tourism industry and that this will not be achieved if accommodation rates are hiked .

“ we would like to attract tourism in Zambia, if hotels become expensive, then some people are going to rise against us, the airlines are going to be less profitable,” the President explained.

President Sata said Zambia wants to encourage people doing business and attract more tourists to visit the country.

“If the AU is running short of money, let us know how much they want us to contribute, we will not let Zambians or outsiders be levied”, he explained.

Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and Muhammed Mossi of Egypt were some of the leaders present in the meeting who supported the stance taken by President Sata.

Other countries which supported were Algeria and Chad.

The executive council of the UN at its ordinary session in 2012 endorsed the proposal by the commission to support the consultations on the alternative sources of funding.

A high level panel of eminent people met with a view to engage member states and come up with definite proposals for the outstanding issue of funding.

ZANIS