Chinese Investors at Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe District have been given two weeks in which to improve working conditions at the mine or face government action.

Southern Province Minister, Elijah Muchima who issued the ultimatum at a media briefing in Livingstone tuesday, said the mine owners have up to October 30, to put their house in order or face the law.

The Minister has summoned Management of Collum Coal Mine to his office for a meeting on 1st November.

Mr Muchima said the investors at the mine will have to show that they have complied with the law at the meeting which will also be attended by officials from the Ministry of Labour, and the Environmental Council of Zambia.

He observed that miners have been subjected to slavery conditions and all of them are employed on part time, despite a number of them clocking nine years of service.
Mr Muchima has also directed that no employee should be fired for having participated in the protest over the weekend.

Meanwhile, The two Chinese collum coal mine supervisors who shot at protesting miners Monday appeared in a Choma Magistrates court.

Xiao Li Shan 48, and Wu Jiu Hua 46, have been charged with attempted murder contrary to section 215 of the Laws of Zambia.

They appeared before Magistrate Willie Sinyangwe.

Particulars of the offence are that the two supervisors, on October 15th 2010 jointly and whilst acting together, unlawfully attempted to murder Boas Siapwaya.

In the other 12 counts the duo are alleged to have unlawfully attempted to murder the other 12 miners that were injured in the shootings.

The two, who preferred to use Chinese in court, were assisted in interpretation by Chris Xing.

They were represented in court by Kalenge Mulenga from Ambient Associates.

Magistrate Sinyangwe noted that the accused were appearing before him for mention as the offence they are charged with can only be tried in the High Court.

The magistrate stated that the matter would be referred the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for further instructions.

Magistrate Sinyangwe adjourned the matter to November 2nd for mention waiting for instructions from the DPP while the duo has been remanded in custody.

[ZNBC]

The Zambia Federation of Employers ZFE says it is disgraceful to see investors mistreating local workers who fight for their right.

Commenting on the shooting of 12 miners by Chinese nationals at Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district , ZFE president George Chabwera said it is sad that such incidences have continued to happen despite the country celebrating its 46 years of independence.

Speaking in a telephone interview Dr Chabwera said the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) should direct all investors in the country to engage themselves with the Zambia Federation of Employers to run them through workers Industrial and Labour laws.

Dr Chabwera said it is unfortunate that the Chinese nationals resorted to shooting as a way of solving problems instead of engaging in proper dialogue with the workers.

Twelve miners including one onlooker were on Friday, 15th October 2010, shot and seriously wounded by Chinese nationals at the Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province, as they were presenting their grievances of poor working conditions to Chinese management at shaft two.

Police have since arrested the two Chinese nationals who shot the miners.
[ QFM ]

A rapid assessment conducted by the Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia (FAWEZA) on the livelihood of young girls in Kapiri Mposhi has revealed that truck drivers are sexually abusing several of them.

A similar survey was conducted by CAMFED in 2007 and revealed the existence of various forms of violence, both sexual and physical, in schools against female pupils by male school teachers and schoolboys.

FAWEZA programmes manager, Edith Ng’omba said FAWEZA Central Province chapter undertook a rapid assessment of safety and the security situation of girls in Kapiri Mposhi because of high presence of travellers both foreign and locals.

Ms Ng’omba said truck drivers in Kapiri Mposhi made their temporary resting sites en route to various destinations and that put a number of schoolgirls at a high risk of sexual abuse and exploitation.

She said a large farming community surrounded the town with scattered squatters and village settlements located far from most schools and pupils walked long distance, making schoolgirls vulnerable to abuse.

Ms Ng’omba said this at the weekend when she presented to Education Minister Dora Siliya a pictorial album consisting of different pictures on girl-child abuse and exploitation situation in Kapiri Mposhi.

She said the objective of the campaign was to identify spaces where girls experienced most violence and highlighted situations and factors that were threats to school girl’s safety and security in Kapiri Mposhi.

She said the campaign was aimed at engaging school managers, community leaders and the general public to make them recognise the risk factors that compromised girls’ safety and put in place regulations to protect them and ensure their retention in schools.

“As you may be aware, Kapiri Mposhi town lies on the highway to the northern part of Zambia and to the borders of Congo, Tanzania and other east African countries. As such it has a high presence of travelers, both foreign and local,” Ms Ng’omba said.

She said FAWEZA found that weekly boarding pupils such as girls lived in rented lodging, making them vulnerable to sexual violence.

She said the girl-child in such situations were at a higher risk of dropping out of school due to pregnancies since Kapiri Mposhi had an influx of truck drivers.

And speaking when she received the album, Ms Siliya called on various organisations to work closely with her ministry to address challenges faced by vulnerable children in many communities.

She said her ministry was aware several children, especially the girl-child, were faced with all forms of abuse such as sexual harassment and organisations dealing with the welfare of children should join the crusade to advocate for better livelihood.

Ms Siliya said her ministry would organise a seminar where organisations and stakeholders dealing with the welfare of children could meet to discuss how the plight of underprivileged children could be addressed.
[ Times of Zambia ]

POLICE in Ndola have arrested an 84-year-old man of Mushili Township for allegedly defiling his three-year-old granddaughter.

Copperbelt police chief, Martin Malama confirmed the incident and said the man was detained at Masala Police Station while investigations in the matter were continuing.

“Yes, it is true that an 84-year-old man of Mushili Township is detained at Masala Police Station for defiling his three-year-old grand daughter but as at now, I cannot disclose his name because we are still investigating the case,” Dr Malama said.
[ Times of Zambia ]

Northern division police chief Chewe Mukuka confirmed the incident in an interview from Kasama yesterday.

“They have been taken to Mbala police station because we do not have cells in Mpulungu. They should be appearing in court soon,” Mr Mukuka said.

The cadres have been charged with conduct likely to cause the breach of peace after they descended on the slogan-chanting MMD cadres with a boat, which is the symbol for PF.

And MMD chairperson for information and publicity Dora Siliya has condemned the PF for exhibiting a high appetite for violence without realising the people they want to harm were also Zambians.

The cadres descended on the rally with a boat that was carrying people who acted like paddlers just a few minutes before the vice-president arrived to start addressing.

The Electoral Code of Conduct prohibits any cadres from campaigning within the vicinity of a public rally being addressed by a rival party.

Mr Mukuka said however that apart from Sunday’s incident the campaigns where Mr Kunda addressed were generally peaceful.

Mr Kunda’s public rally was held within the township near the council offices.

He said police kept on advising the PF provincial leaders who were leading the campaigns to leave but they kept on returning with the boat on the road.

“Each time we spoke to them, they would agree to control their cadres but they acted contrary to what they promised,” Mr Mukuka said.

And Ms Siliya said the MMD would never engage in violent acts because whether the cadres were from PF or UPND, they remained Zambians.

“Even us in the MMD want a credible opposition. Zambians deserve a credible opposition,” Ms Siliya said.
[ Times of Zambia ]

INK Tech managing director Mohan Mathews yesterday told the Lusaka High Court that Lusaka lawyer Robert Simeza allegedly initiated the plans to bribe a magistrate and judge to secure the bail of his convicted client, Rathi Kumar using the late Sajid Itowala.

Testifying in his defence before Supreme Court Judge Gregory Phiri sitting as High Court judge, Matthews said Mr Simeza was the one who introduced the deceased to him so that they could work together and help Kumar flee the country.

Matthews testified that the magistrate was allegedly first paid K150 million by the deceased after getting it from him and in turn the magistrate advised Rathi to behave like a mental patient in court.

This move was meant for him to recommend Rathi to go for a mental check up at Chainama Hospital, which was done and later be assisted to flee the country from the mental hospital.

This is in a case where Mohan, is jointly charged with Crown Paints brothers Idris and Shabir Patel with one count of murder.

It is alleged that the trio in July last year, whilst acting together with other persons unknown, murdered Itowala.

He told the court that earlier Mr Simeza had allegedly asked him to inform Rathi that they come up with plans to assist him flee the country and signed a cheque to purchase two air tickets, for Rathi not in his real names and the one for his mother in law, a Mrs Pitti.

Mr Simeza then organised to meet a National Airports official Fred Malama who was also allegedly bribed to ensure that he helped him with a check-in plan prior to the duo’s arrival at the international airport and he gave them two boarding passes.

He said on April 29 last year, Mr Simeza allegedly organised everyone involved alongside Rathi’s mother-in-law and they all went to Chainama to assist Rathi escape from hospital enroute to the airport.

“Shaun and Chileshe broke the main gates to Chainama mental prisons, switched off the lights but were disturbed by the alarm system and immediately ran away before they could rescue Rathi. The security men rushed to the prisons section and got Rathi back to Kamwala Remand Prisons.

Matthews said Mr Simeza allegedly advised him that there were so many ways of killing a rat and that Rathi’s father would be in the country to sort out the mess, and when he arrived he called for a meeting with Sajid.

It was at this point that Sajid allegedly told Rathi’s father, Mr Simeza and Matthews that he needed more money to assist Rathi with bail since by then he had already been convicted to four years.

He said his father organised altogether US$750,000, $450,000 for the judge who was going to handle the bail at the High Court and the $300,000 for the magistrate who allowed the bail application.
The defence continues today.

[Times of Zambia]

Vice President George Kunda is tomorrow Tuesday October 19, expected to travel to China to grace the Zambia National Pavilion Day of Expo.

The Expo which would be held in Shanghai in China will take place on October 24, 2010.

Mr Kunda is expected to lead a delegation of Ministers and government officials.

This is contained in Press Statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Senior Private Secretary to the Vice President Kenneth Ngosa.

Mr Ngosa explained that the Expo 2010 is a grand international event and a happy reunion of people from all over the world.

More than 200 Nations and International Organizations are expected to take part in the exhibition.

[ ZANIS ]

The Salaries Review Commission has started receiving submissions from workers and organisations on the Coppberbelt.

President Rupuiah Banda appointed the commission to review the conditions of service for public service workers.

The commission headed by Professor Muyunda Mwanalushi conducted its first sittings in Ndola Monday morning, at which workers, unions and government institutions representatives made their submissions.

Among the institutions which made submissions, are the Clinical officers Association of Zambia, the Mpongwe District Administration, Copperbelt Province administration and representatives form the Meteorological department.

Professor Mwanalushi said government would no longer promote and increase salaries for civil servants automatically.

He said government has instead introduced the annual performance appraisal system to effect salary increments and promotions in the public service.

And Clinical Officer Association of Zambia Secretary General Milner Kasempa urged the commission to recommend the reinstatement of the Clinical Officer structure which was abolished under the health reforms.

And Mpongwe District commissioner Rasford Bulaya called for the harmonisation of salary scales among professionals holding similar qualifications.
[ ZNBC ]