Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) president Joyce Simukoko has condemned the recent violence perpetuated by Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) unionized workers over salary increments.

Mrs Simukoko says violence retards national development hence the need for workers to avoid such activities for the betterment of the country.

She said this is why there is need for management and workers to consider engaging themselves in constructive dialogue and come with lasting solutions to address such problems.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, the FFTUZ leader has since urged workers in the country to devise go channels of airing out their grievances than resulting to violence.

She said there is need for KCM management and workers to consider engaging themselves in constructive dialogue and come with lasting solutions to address such problems.

She further advised the affected workers that demonstrations and destroying of property is not a good way of resolving labour disputes if the country is to develop both socially and economically.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Simukoko also called on employers’ country to put in place effective measures of addressing workers complaints to avoid demonstrations that result in reduced production and damage of property.

She noted that workers have the right to complain or bargain for improved conditions, when they feel they salaries do not match with the amount of production that they do.

She regretted that employers in many companies do not respect the rights of workers such as improving their conditions despite them making positive contributions towards increased production and profits.

Mrs. Simukoko has further added that to this effect, workers feel that the only way their can force management to consider uplifting their plight is through engaging in demonstrations.

KCM unionized workers in Chingola yesterday downed tools and demanded to be given information on the status of 100 percent salary negotiations between management and their two unions.

10 people have since been arrested when irate KCM employees destroyed property worth millions of kwacha and blocked roads.

ZANIS

Government has dismissed media reports suggesting that President Rupiah Banda snubbed the FIFA team that brought the World Cup Trophy to Zambia last weekend.

Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said in a statement to ZANIS in Lusakayesterday that reports that the organizers of the trophy tour were unhappy that Vice President George Kunda received the trophy on behalf of the President are also untrue.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said contrary to reports by a private newspaper, the World Cup trophy team was very pleased that the Zambian government was represented by the Vice President to receive the trophy.
“The truth, in fact is that the FIFA team that brought the World Cup want it on record that they were very pleased and thankful that the Zambian Government sent the Vice President to receive the trophy,” he said.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said the organizers of the tour have rated the reception organized in Zambia far higher than in most countries where it had been received at ministerial level.

“The story is a deliberate concoction, giving the impression that the organizers of the trophy tour, Coca Cola, did not allow Vice President Kunda to touch the cup, and yet this was merely a matter of procedure as explained by Coca Cola Zambia Head of Corporate Affairs, Chibamba Kanyama”, he said.

He said there was nothing unusual about what happened and wondered why the explanation by Mr. Kanyama was not satisfactory to the author of the media story, who he said wanted to make controversy out of a straight forward issue.

The November 10 edition of The Post Newspaper carried a story suggesting that President Rupiah Banda snubbed the FIFA World Cup Trophy, forcing organizers to deny the country’s highest representative, the Vice President Kunda, from removing the trophy from the glass seal at a ceremony at Intercontinental Hotel.

However, Coca Cola Head of Corporate Affairs Chibamba Kanyama explained that there was nothing sinister about the Vice President not touching the World Cup Trophy.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen Shikapwasha has expressed displeasure at the misrepresentation of facts over what President Rupiah Banda said about Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata, alleging that he called him “son of Satan”.

He said it was clear that the misrepresentation of facts was part of a campaign to create an impression that there was enmity between President Banda and Mr. Sata.

The President has since categorically refuted having said the alleged remarks attributed to him in a story in one of the tabloid newspapers.

“This misrepresentation of facts must thus be read with the fabrication that veteran politician Grey Zulu had been treated like a criminal and that he did not receive any support during the funeral of his late son, Agrippa,” he explained.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha said Mr. Zulu and his family categorically denied the statement, including the verbatim report.

He said the truth was that the Zulu family was very pleased with the support rendered to them by the government and President Banda in particular.

He urged the media personnel to avoid sensationalism in their reporting but to always ensure that they stick to the truth.

ZANIS

Mr. Kunda said there was need to lift the suspension of the land agency in order to allow the enterprising people of Solwezi to go ahead with their massive construction activities in the area.

He said people of Solwezi had an enterprising spirit, noting that this was manifested by the number of buildings that are being constructed in the district.

He said this when he addressed a public rally in Kamijiji ward in Solwezi to drum up support for the MMD candidate for Solwezi central constituency Albert Chifita yesterday.

Mr. Kunda said the land agency has been suspended for a long time now, a situation he described as unacceptable by the people of Solwezi who should access land all the time.

He said if the council had engaged itself into corrupt practices in the allocation of land, the matter should be reported to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) while the land agency continued to work.

Mr. Kunda said the district was transforming at a fast rate, a situation that gave government a challenge to provide more social services, including the development of infrastructure.

He said government was in the process of upgrading Solwezi airport into an international standard in order to develop the area more.

“Tenders have been floated for this project, designs already made and monies budgeted for in the 2010 national budget. We are just waiting for approval,” he said.

Mr. Kunda assured the people of Solwezi central that the MMD government would ensure that it addressed issues that can promote development to the area in their campaigns unlike the opposition PF/UPND pact who are inciting violence.

The Solwezi central parliamentary seat fell vacant over a month ago after the area Member of Parliament, Ben Tetamashimba died.

Other candidates in the November 19th, 2009 are Watson Lumba of the PF/UPND pact, Muhammad Kalela of the forum for Democratic Alternatives (FDA) and Thomas Kafula, who is an independent.

ZANIS

African leaders to emulate political icons such as the late Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela by waging a relentless fight against poverty, diseases and political violence that has rocked most African countries.

Dr Kaunda said he was confident that just as Africa worked hard and won its war against slavery, colonialism and apartheid, the continent had the capacity to overcome its present challenges.

The Zambian first President was speaking at Johannesburg’s Sandton International Convention Centre on Tuesday night when he bestowed the African President of the Year 2009 award on the current South African President Jacob Zuma,

This is according to a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka by Second Secretary for press at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa.

The awards founded by the African awareness Media and the Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation which Dr Kaunda is Chairman, recognizes achievements made by the selected recipients in various fields and also serve to honor African leaders.

And in accepting the award, President Zuma praised Dr Kaunda for his good spirit which he said had been a guiding moral compass in Zambia.

Mr Zuma said the awards help remind African leaders of their responsibility to the people they serve.

He said it is a privilege to receive the award from President Kaunda and said Zambia being the former headquarters of ANC was his home away from home due to Dr Kaunda’s unity and hospitality adding that African leaders needed to emulate him.

The South African President noted that what was most special about the award was that it was African recognizing what they consider as achievement and appreciating their own.

He said African leaders have pledged to strive to eradicate poverty, diseases and conflicts and that they would also promote trade, investment, economic growth, skills development and stability on the continent.

“To promote good governance, we established the African Peer Review mechanism to foster economic integration and development we established the New Partnership for Africa development (NEPAD). These must the instrument we use to advance the cause of our continent,” Mr. Zuma said.

Also honored at the same function were Nigeria’s First Lady, Dr Hajiya Yar’ Adua as the best African First Lady of the year, the late South African singer Miriam Makeba as great Daughter of Africa and Nigerian academic Alhaji Dr Maintama Sule as great son of Africa.

ZANIS