Government has constituted a committee to look into the plight of miners at the Chinese Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district.

Home Affairs Minister Mukondo Lungu announced the formation of the committee at a meeting held at Collum Coal Mine.

This was after Mr. Lungu and his labour and Mines counterparts visited the mine Thursday.

He disclosed that the committee which would comprise Labour officers, the Ministry of Mines, the Chinese management,the Gemstone Allied Workers Union,and the workers’ representative will address the problems on 27 October at the Ministry of Labour and Social services in Lusaka.

Mr Lungu appealed to both the management and employees to work in harmony as the discussions are going on and urged the Chinese investors not to use firearms on innocent people.

He said government was alarmed over the shooting of 12 miners at the Chinese Collum Coal Mine and President Rupiah Banda has conveyed his sympathy to all the affected employees.

Mr Lungu who was sent by President Banda to find out the root cause of the shooting incident at Collum Coal mine was also accompanied by Labour Minister Austin Liato, Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale.

He said government would engage the Chinese investors to abide by the Zambian laws than resorting to the use of a gun.
[pullquote]“ We are interested in the investors and employees so that they live in harmony, President Banda is also interested in the welfare of employees at place work that is why he sent us here to find the root cause of the shooting incident,” Mr Liato said. [/pullquote]

Mr. Liato said that government is interested in the mutual relationship between employees and the employers for social dialogue to be achieved all the times.

“ We are interested in the investors and employees so that they live in harmony, President Banda is also interested in the welfare of employees at place work that is why he sent us here to find the root cause of the shooting incident,” Mr Liato said.

Mines and Minerals Development Minister Mr. Mwale also said government want to encourage investment though the investors should respect the employees and follow the country’s laws.

He said there should be a fresh start to address the problems at the mine because in the past his Ministry had failed to address them.

The Chinese Collum Coal Mine employees’ representative Ebby Siamuvwele told the ministers that they operate without having leave days, sick leave, and there were no written condition of service.

Mr Siamuvwele said they get their money through a window rather than from a bank and the Chinese manager beat them while they were on duty with impunity.

President Rupiah Banda yesterday warned against promoting xenophobic feelings against the Chinese following the Collum Coal Mine shooting incident, stating that people are shot by Zambians, by white people, and Americans.

But MUZ president Rayford Mbulu described as unsatisfactory government’s position on the shooting incident.

Mr. Mbulu said it is government’s responsibility to protect its people and to ensure that the law is applied accordingly on anyone who has gone against it.

He noted with dismay that the stance government has taken over the shooting incident,stressing that government should have done better by sending out a strong message to all investors who are not following the country’s labour laws.

Mr Mbulu has urged government to ensure that the laid down laws in the country are followed through to the latter and enforced fully on everyone.

[ QFM ]

Transparency International of Zambia (TIZ) says the removal of abuse of office clause from the Anti Corruption Commission Act will have serious consequences on the fight against corruption in the country.

TIZ Executive Director Goodwell Lungu said Zambia has diverted from the United Nations convention against corruption and the southern African developing community SADC protocol against corruption which it signed.

Mr. Lungu said the removal of the clause which acted as a deterrent to would be offenders, will be an opportunity for individuals to misappropriate public funds.

He appealed to President Rupiah Banda to ensure that the bill is not passed into law as it will be a tragedy for the country.

And the TIZ executive director has advised employers in the country not to take advantage of Zambian employees who do not know their rights.

Mr. Lungu said casualization of labour is a sign of bad governance amongst employers.

He noted that there is need for the Ministry of Labour to intervene in the workers plight for better conditions.

Mr. Lungu was commenting on the recent shooting of eleven miners at the collum coal mine in Sinazongwe and the rioting by Zcon construction workers at the levy business park.

Both working groups were fighting for better conditions of services at their work places.
[ QFM ]

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Peter Mwaba has taken Shangombo District Commissioner (DC) to task for allowing Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to use the unfinished infrastructure meant for a health centre as a storage shade.

Dr. Mwaba said much as he appreciate the role of FRA, they should not disturb construction works at the site.

The Permanent Secretary is in Shangombo to see progress on the district hospital which is being constructed.

The PS and his team also inspected ten staff houses and nurse’s hostels and an abandoned administration block.

Commenting on the administration block, the PS directed the DC to terminate the contract of the contractor for the block and find possible means to make him pay back the K30 million down payment.

The contractor is said to have disappeared with the money after doing a slab.

However Shangombo DC Masheke Kabayo commended FRA for purchasing all the maize in his district.

Mr. Kabayo said farmers in the area who supplied maize to FRA have since been paid.

He said that FRA had released about K1.3 billion to pay farmers.

He said farmers are happy and encouraged to work even harder to produce another bumper harvest in the starting season.

Mr. Kabayo however urged FRA to quickly transport the commodity before the onset of rains to avoid the maize going to waste.

The maize is currently stored in one of the unfinished buildings at the newly constructed Shangombo District Hospital.

[ ZANIS ]

Lusaka High Court Judge Gregory Phiri has ordered Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde to avail himself in  court this afternoon and  the police officer who was in charge when police disrupted a meeting of state advocates at Simenza Sangwa and associates law firm

Judge Phiri has ordered that the police officer should be in court by 14:30 hours this afternoon to give a full account of what transpired.

The judge described last evenings disruption of the meeting as unbelievable.

He said this is because police and state advocates meet each other and should always work together in prosecuting matters.

Judge Phiri was prompted to make the order after Law Association of Zambia President Stephen Lungu placed on record that the association is deeply concerned about what transpired last evening.

Mr Lungu told the court that every legal practitioner should be allowed to operate independently and without fear.

This is in a matter in which Inktech Managing Director Matthew Mohan and two others are facing murder charges of Lusaka businessman Sajid Itowala.

Police last evening stormed Simeza Sangwa law firm and disrupted an official meeting called by state advocates from the Director of Public Prosecutions chambers, Sajid Itowala’s family and a member of the Law Association of Zambia.

[ZNBC]

Chief Mukuni Munokalya of the Toka Leya people of Southern Province has said the PF/UPND Pact has merely confused Zambians more than trying to serve the purpose it was founded upon.

Chief Mukuni said in Lusaka yesterday that it was difficult for any ordinary Zambian to clearly understand what the pact was up to except the leaders in it and that it was difficult to know if they were serious.

“I do not understand the pact, only the people in it know and it’s just confusing the people of this country. Outsiders cannot follow what is going on. We Zambians, do not know if they are serious or serving any purpose,” he said.

The chief expressed happiness at the decision by the various political party leaders to sit down and denounce political violence.

The violence witnessed mainly during by-elections did nothing for the ordinary Zambians except that it traumatised them.

The chief said the move by candidates contesting the Chilanga by-elections to denounce violence was the first step to good politics in Zambia and hoped the pronouncements would not end there but spread to the whole country.

“Besides, this violence is being championed by parties hoping to intimidate voters during by-elections so that their opponents stay away, but we have a general election coming, they will not be able to transport violent people to all constituencies,” the Chief said.

Zambians could not be cheated anymore and that any party or group that would not have a good manifesto might as well forget about making the next Government.

And Government has appealed to foreign investors to abide and respect the Zambian labour laws failure to which appropriate punishment will be meted on them.

Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu told parliament on Wednesday that government is saddened by the Collum Coal mine shooting which occurred a few days ago where 11 mine workers and a passerby where shot at by two mine managers.

Delivering a ministerial statement in parliament yesterday , Mr. Lungu disclosed that his ministry, in collaboration with ministries of Mines and Mineral Development and the Labour and Social Services has engaged the Chinese Government on discussions on the incident.

He said government is considering a ‘Fast-Track Court’ to deal with such matters in the near future.

Mr. Lungu further disclosed that the two managers at the Mine have since been sent to Choma Central Prison pending court proceedings.

The Minister however regretted that Police have arrested some workers who are alleged to have stolen property from management offices.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lungu has appealed to political players to stick to the electoral code of conduct and desist from engaging their cadres in violence ahead of the Chilanga and Mpulungu parliamentary by-elections.

The Minister said political party leaders and their supporters should at all times maintain peace.

[ ZANIS ]

Dr Kaunda said yesterday that Zambians should learn to uphold good morals according to Christian values.

He said homosexuality was against God’s commandments and that leaders should instead advocate for laws that prohibited such wicked vices especially that Zambia was a Christian Nation.

Speaking when he and Champions for an HIV-free generation held a meeting with civil society organisations in Lusaka, Dr Kaunda implored citizens to allow the Government to enact laws to stop promotion of homosexuality.

“This is a very serious human activity that should be handled very carefully and we need to fight against it,” he said.

Former Botswana president Festus Mogae, who is the chairperson of the Champions for an HIV-Free Generation, said they had not come to advocate for the promotion of homosexuality in Zambia.

Meanwhile, a Kitwe clergyman, Bernard Nwaka has challenged opposition parties to state their positions on homosexuality instead of keeping quiet.

And International Fellowship for Christian Churches president, Simon Chihana has said homosexuality will never be a human right issue because God created men to perform some special roles, which should only be done by men.

Forum for Leadership Search executive director Edwin Lifwekelo recently revealed that Patriotic Front president Michael Sata was having meetings with donors where he was assuring them that he would legalise homosexuality and revert the country to a secular state provided they backed his candidacy.

And President Rupiah Banda said on Tuesday that the Government was aware that some sections of the donor community had embarked on a campaign aimed at making Zambians believe that homosexuality was a human rights issue.

Bishop Nwaka of Living Water Global Ministries said in an interview yesterday in Kitwe that the Church wanted to know the stance of the leaders aspiring to be future presidents since Mr Banda had indicated his position.

Bishop Nwaka said Zambians wanted to know where the opposition leaders stood so that they could make informed decisions during elections next year.

“Homosexuality or same-sex affairs are serious issues political parties should not ignore because Zambia is a Christian Nation,” he said.

Bishop Nwaka said the Church was happy that President Banda and his Government had condemned the acts because it was not a human rights issue in a Christian nation.

And in an interview yesterday, Bishop Chihana said homosexuality was not a human rights issue but a demonic right which was unacceptable.

He said his own findings showed that most people practising homosexuality were victims of the act who were finding it difficult to fully recover and were now being forced to perform the act on others.

[ Times of Zambia ]