Management of Collum Coal Mine and all the 13 workers who were shot at have agreed that the two Chinese senior officers who fired at them should not be prosecuted.

And the mine management has agreed to compensate victims of the shooting between K20 and K45 million and has also increased the minimum basic monthly salary for its workers from the statutory required K286,000 to K450,000 following the Government’s directive to management to improve the working conditions at the mine.

According to the compensation agreement obtained by the Times of Zambia, management of Collum Coal Mine and the victims of the shooting had a meeting on November 10 which was also attended by the labour commissioner where the two parties settled the matter by agreeing compensation and that the two directors who opened fire should be exempted from prosecution.

“All the 13 injured agreed that Xiao Lishan and Wu Jinhua be exempt from prosecution.

“After verification, there are 13 people who were injured. Among these, one person was severely injured and he will be paid K45 million including five years school fees anywhere within Maamba area.

“Those who are partially injured are six and these will be given K35 million each while the other six who are not severely injured will be paid K20 million each. When Collum Coal mines industries Limited pays the compensation, the officers from Ministry of Labour and Social Security and relevant witnesses should be in attendance,” reads part of the agreement.

The move was part of the process aimed at improving the working conditions at the mine where 13 workers were recently injured when they were shot at during a protest to press management for improved conditions.

The two parties agreed that 50 percent of the total compensation to the injured would be paid today while the remaining half would be settled on December 1 this year.

Those to be compensated include Vincent Chenjela who would be paid K45 million while Simon Simweete, Wissborn Simutomba, Beston Munakazela, Boaz Siapwaya, Madinda Siamubotu and William Muntanga would each get K35 million.

The rest of the victims to be paid K20 million each were Japhet Siakalumbwe, Sianaini Ward, Brighton Siamfuno, Alfred Senuka, Vincent Wmanamusiya and Abin Siambeeba.

Southern province minister Elijah Muchima said Collum Coal mine management was heeding government’s directive to improve the working conditions at the mine.

Addressing the workers at the mine, Mr Muchima said government was happy that management of the mine was taking the necessary steps to improve the working conditions at the mine.

Mr Muchima said mine management had also introduced food and housing allowances and also transport allowance for workers who were staying more than three kilometers from the mine.

Mr Muchima directed management of the mine to employ a human resources manager and a Zambian interpreter to facilitate communications between the Chinese and their Zambian employees.

“Management of this mine has to be sincere and should do what they have written down as a roadmap to improving the working conditions and environment here, failure to which they will annoy us,” Mr Muchima said.

Collum Coal mines industries director Xu Jian Ling assured the Government that management would do everything possible within the Zambian law to improve the conditions at the mine.

Recently, 13 workers at the coal mine were shot at, a situation which drew condemnation from President Rupiah Banda and a cross-section of society.

President Banda, however, advised that it would be wrong for those condemning the shooting to single out a particular grouping as that might create phobia against them.

“I don’t like what happened there and the law is definitely taking its course,” he said.

[Times of Zambia ]

Ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) sympathizer, Edward Mumbi has given change life Zambian CLZ Executive Director, Father Frank Bwalya a seven days ultimatum in which to apologize for what has been termed as libelous statements against him or risk legal action.

In a letter sent to Father Bwalya, by his legal advisors, AKM practitioners and signed by Mr. Keith Mukata, and made available to qfm Mr. Mumbi has demanded for an apology which must be inserted in the print and electronic media with payment of damages in the sum of k3.7billion kwacha.

Mr. Mumbi said failure to abide by the demands as laid down will result in serious legal action claiming that father Bwalya’s statement was false and uncalled-for.

Featuring on Monday Nite Live program on QFM, Father Bwalya stated that Edward is not Mr. Mumbi’s first name but Kangwa.

He later dared Mr. Mumbi to sue him and called on Zambians not to believe Mr. Mumbi because of his unknown identity.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mumbi has challenged all those willing to engage in political debates to be truthful about the statement they make.

He said that this is the only way Zambia would record some form of decency in its politics.
[ QFM ]

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC ) says it will not investigate Former President Dr. Frederick CHILUBA’s money laundering activities because it would contravene the laws of Zambia.

DEC Public Relations Manager John Nyawali said article 18 of the constitution of Zambia does not allow prosecuting an individual for an act which did not constitute an offence at the time it was alleged to have been committed.

Mr Nyawali in a statement to ZNBC in Lusaka Wednesday said Dr CHILUBA allegedly committed money laundering activities before the Prohibition and Prevention of money laundering law was enacted.

His remarks follows a letter written by the Patriotic Front (PF) demanding that the DEC investigate Dr. Chiluba’s money laundering activities.

Mr. Nyawali also said some of the alleged activities which constitute offences for money laundering were investigated and prosecuted by the then Task Force on Corruption for which Dr. Chilubawas acquitted.
[ ZNBC ]

Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane has said there is need to increased momentum on regional integration and free trade if countries in the (COMESA) region are to address their problems.

The Minister was speaking during the 4th meeting of the Regional Integration Support Mechanism (RISM) advisory committee in Lusaka today.

He said most economies in the sub-region are dependent on single commodity-trade particularly in the production and export of unprocessed natural resources such as minerals and crops.

Dr. Musokotwane said although the exports from these commodities have contributed to the development of the economies in the region, countries have to deal with high poverty levels, unemployment, illiteracy,and poor infrastructure.

He, however, said regional integration would not deliver the benefits if COMESA member countries do not take advantage of the vast market in the Eastern and Southern Africa-Indian Ocean (ESA-IO) region.

The minister noted that by taking advantage of the ESA-IO, countries would create a uniform and predictable environment for the private sector who are the major drivers of the economy.

And COMESA Assistant Secretary General Stephen Karangizi said the current RISM would allow all the countries to take advantage of the support to achieve the common objectives of the regional agenda.

Mr. Karangizi said that the reformulated RISM programme would also provide the opportunity for countries to make larger steps in the implementation of regional programmes.

He said this expected to lead to faster and deeper integration that facilitates trade internally and with global economies.
[ QFM ]

The Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AFRIMAP) and Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) have launched a report on Public Broadcast Media in Zambia aimed at providing common ground for negotiation and agreement that meets aspirations of the Zambian Society.

Launching the Report Tuesday evening at Southern Sun in Lusaka on behalf of AFRIMAP and OSISA, Retired High Court Judge Anderson Zikonda

said AFRIMAP and OSISA as well as the Open Society Institute Media Programme should be commended for a well thought report which he noted would help the Zambian Media to improve in areas it was lacking.

Judge Zikonda described the report as a nice document which had raised some pertinent issues aimed at contributing to the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) adding that the national broadcaster was falling short of being a model of an ideal public media broadcaster.

Mr. Zikonda stated that the report contained various issues, views and recommendations based on the researcher’s own opinion and analysis of the situation adding that recommendations provided food for thought for both the Government and the media at large.

And Speaking during the launch Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Interim Chairperson Fanwell Chembo said the report would provide a litmus test for the growth of Zambia’s Democracy since the country reverted to a democratic dispensation in 1991.

Mr. Chembo said the research was as a result of advancing knowledge created in the past adding that the document would also assist Zambia in solving the existing problems and even further improve in areas in which the country was already advancing.

He further said MISA Zambia greatly valued the efforts by AFRIMAP in financing the research.

[ ZANIS ]