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wrangles erupt between Gemstone Union, Chinese Coal mine management

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Confrontation of words erupted between Gemstone and Allied Workers Union President Sifuniso Nyumbu and the Chinese Collum Coal Mine (CCM) Management in Sinazeze in Sinazongwe district over the workers representation.

The Chinese nationals openly rejected Mr. Nyumbu as the representative of the workers and accused him to have ordered the workers to stone them when one miner died on Monday.

“This guy is not good he is not our friend, we will not have allowed him to enter our premises if he had not come with the area Councilor Patson Mangunje, the workers also do not want him,” says CCM Shaft two Director Xu Zian Qun.

Mr. Qun said h e does not want the mine to have two unions representing the workers.

“It has never happened, we can not accept that,” Mr. Qun said while waving his hand in the air and looking at Mr Nyumbu with a wrinkled face.

However, Mr. Nyumbu said there were a lot of wrongs obtaining at the Chinese coal mine were the lowest worker was getting a K104 per day which is below the minimum wage under the Zambian labour laws.
He said despite entering into an agreement with Management to have the lowest worker getting K600, 000 per month by September last year they have failed to honour it.

Mr. Nyumbu accused Management to have hidden the three names of some workers who also injured under ground.
He said through three his investigations and verification at the Maamba Hospital he found that three workers were attended to but their names were not included in their report.
Mr. Nyumbu named the three injured workers in the presence of the Chinese management as Brian Siakalintini, Tano Siamwando, and Lewis Sinamugulu,

He said Mr. Sinamugulu took himself to Maamba Hospital without the help of Management and the xlay showed that he had four broken toes.

Senior Inspector of mines Under the Ministry of Mines Lubinda Kamutumwa told management that it was wrong for them to let the workers to go to the hospital alone after an accident.
Mr. Kamutumwa said the doctor from a hospital should examine the injured workers not their doctor who is not recognized under the Zambian laws.

Mr. Qun said their doctor told Mr Sinamugulu to rest for five days to allow his broken toes to heal.
[ZANIS]

Mining firms still fighting new tax

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Mining firms are still adamant about paying the new taxes proposed by government.

The Chamber of Mines has strongly argued that the new tax regime will undermine operations and sustainability of the mining industry.

Chamber of Mines General Manager, Frederick Bantubonse, made these remarks when his delegation appeared before the parliamentary estimates committee in Lusaka.

The mining investors have proposed an urgent meeting with government to review the levels of taxation before effecting the new tax.

Mr. Bantubonse and his team argued that the tax regime agreed upon through constructive dialogue will serve the interests of Zambians and the mining industry.

However, committee members led by Lusaka Central Patriotic Front Member of Parliament, Guy Scott critised the investors' delegation whom they accused of having returned to the committee in a very aggressive and confrontational manner.

The committee members were concerned that the mining investors had not made any proposals on the levels of taxation on their second return to the committee.

This prompted committee Chairperson, Godfrey Beene to direct the delegation to go back and consolidate their proposals on the tax regime to be resubmitted by Saturday.

The committte is expected to table its report on the proposed tax regime next Tuesday.

The mining firms that were represented include Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), First Quantum Minerals and Chambeshi NFC among others.

[ZNBC]

Chinese mine operates with no safety measures

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Safety Inspectors from the Ministry of mines have found that the Chinese Collum Coal Mine (CCM) which has experienced three accidents within a week is operating without an ambulance, first Aid kit, and stretchers to attend to injured workers.

Senior Inspector of mines Lubinda Kamutumwa has told the Chinese Management to provide an ambulance, the first Aid kit, and stretchers before they resumed operation following the death of one miner under the ground.

Mr. Kamutumwa said when he visited the CCM to ascertain the death of Trywell Siapaka also failed to visit the accident scene owing to the absence of witnesses who were around when it occurred.

The Inspectors, together with, the area councilor Patson Mangunje, and the President for Germstone and Allied Workers Union Sifuniso Nyumbe found all the workers have deserted the mine to go and bury their dead colleague.

Mr. Kamutumwa has given management 10 days to buy a new ambulance for use in case of an accident.
He said safety was first thing to consider before embarking on mining any activity to prevent accidents that could in the long run affect production.

CCM Shaft two Director Xu Zian Qun said he would ensure that the ambulance was provided and in the meantime the mine has turned one of their vehicles into an ambulance.

Mr. Qun said the workers became unruly when their colleague died, they threw stones, broke the windows of vehicle, and threatened violence.

He said Sinazeze Police officers who came to pick up the body failed to control the situation and they were meant to hide the Chinese buildings.

Mr. Qun also complained that he was having problems with the local people who were cultivating within the mining area where they were cracks being formed as a result of underground mining.

He said the villagers were chasing his workers who wanted back fill the cracks to prevent water from the surface sip into the tunnels under ground.

The Senior Inspector said that it was illegal for villagers to have fields within the mining area and he has urged management to ensure that the cracks were filled to prevent further accidents underground.
[ZANIS]

Teddy Mulonga States His Intent

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Every aspirant has an equal chance in their bid to be president of the Football Association of Zambia (Faz) , incumbent Teddy Mulenga said.

 

Mulonga said this late Wednesday afternoon, February 27 at Football House during a press briefing where he announced his bid for a third term as Faz president.

 

“I think any of the aspirants has an equal chance and I respect their great attributes,” Mulonga said.

 

Mulonga said he was standing for re-election on the platform of continued development of football in Zambia adding that he was confident of his track record in the midst of difficult moments at Faz during his last four years in power.

 

“I am therefore offering myself for re-election as president of the Football Association of Zambia in order to provide for continuity and realization of Zambia’s dream.

 

Challenging Mulonga for the Faz top job are Lusaka Dynamos supremo Hanif Adams, Anthony Kasolo and current Faz vice president Kalusha Bwalya.

 

“They are all formidable opponents,” Muleonga added.

 

“But I fancy my chances but that doesn’t mean I underrates their attributes.”

 

With Mulonga’s announcement, the race to Football House is well and truly on.

 

Elections for a Faz executive will be held on March 29 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre during the association’s annual general meeting.

 

Mulonga, who was president from 1998 to 2000 before bouncing back in 2004 to date, is the fifth member of the current Faz executive to announce his candidature for reelection.

 

Others are current Faz spokesman Joseph Nkole who is expected to stand as vice president, technical committee chairman Henschel Chitembeya and Treasurer Rix Mweemba including vice president Bwalya

Wednesday Zambian Football Briefs

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Teddy Will Run

Faz president Teddy Mulonga has confirmed he will contest a third term as Zambia football chief.

Mulonga is expected later today to issue a comprehensive statement on his manifesto for a third term as he embarks on a second successive tenure as Faz boss.

His announcement today will bring to four the number of Faz presidecial candidates who currently include Lusaka Dynamos boss Hanif Adams, Anthony Kasolo and current Faz vice president Kalusha Bwalya.

Zambia International Defender Dies

Zambia national team defender Lloyd Mumba is dead.

Mumba, 26, died today February 27 in Lusaka after a short llness at his parent’s home in Chilenje South Township.

The player has been in Zambia since December 2 from his Hungarian second division club Papa Lombard.

Mumba’s last international call-up was in September 2006 for Zambia’s 2008 Africa Cup Group 11 qualifier against South Africa played in Lusaka on October 7.

His previous European team was German Bundesliga side Stuttgart whom he joined from Dynamos in 2002 and also had a brief spell in South Africa with Golden Arrows before heading to Hungary.

Zesco United Brief

CAF has given the go ahead to Zesco United to play their Caf Africa Champions League preliminary round return leg match URA of Uganda at Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola on March 1.

Zesco has been working around the clock since last December to get their home ground ready for certification by Caf to host their African club competition games.

Had the certification not come through, Zesco would have hosted URA at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola.

This will be the first time Zesco will play an Africa cup competition game in Ndola after playing their 2006 Confederations Cup games at Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe.

And Zambia international midfielder Rainford Kalaba has signed a 12 month extension to his loan deal with Zesco from Division 1 north club Afrisports.

Kalaba has been at Zesco since July 2005 after a season with French Ligue 1 club Nice.

The 2007 Faz Footballer of The Year was also influential in Zesco’s debut Super Division title win.

Kalaba finished as Zesco’s joint top scorer at the club with 13 league goals along side striker Enoch Sakala.

Herbalist gets 18 years for defilement

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THE Kitwe High Court yesterday sentenced a traditional healer to 18 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling an 11-year-old girl.

Judge Evans Hamaundu jailed Fredrick Chinyimba, 32 of New Kawama township after he was convicted of the offence by a magistrate’s court.

Chinyimba was referred to the High Court for sentencing after he was found guilty of the offence.

Facts of the case were that on June 14 last year, the girl was sleeping in the house, which her family was sharing with Chinyimba.

While in bed, the girl noticed that a man had sneaked in the room and forced himself on her.

She realised that it was Chinyimba who immediately threatened her and ordered not to raise alarm as he defiled her.

The following day in the morning the girl told her sister about what had happened after her brother-in-law and Chinyimba had gone out.

When her brother-in-law came back, the girl’s sister explained what had happened. The family then resolved to wait for Chinyimba to get back home so that they could question him.

And when Chinyimba returned later in the day, he admitted to have had sex with the girl and the relatives of the girl apprehended him and took him to the police.

The girl told the court that she was shouted at by her sister after she told her that she had taken a bath after the ordeal.

She was, however, taken to the hospital where it was discovered that her hymen was broken.

In defence, Chinyimba told the court that he knew nothing about the defilement and that the girl was tutored to lie in court.

And in mitigation he pleaded for leniency saying he was a first offender who required leniency

[Times of Zambia]

Judiciary delinked from the Executive

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The Ministry of Justice has concluded the process of de-linking the Judiciary from the Executive arm of government.

This means that the Judiciary will now operate autonomously and determine its own conditions of service.

Justice Minister, George Kunda said an autonomous judiciary will provide an efficient and effective administration of justice.

He was speaking in parliament, when he presented a statement on the estimates of revenue and expenditure for the judiciary this year.

Mr. Kunda however said the judiciary will still be linked to government through the Ministry of Justice.

He said government will continue funding the judiciary through the Ministry of Finance.

{ZNBC]

0ver 300 workers left jobless

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About 320 workers have been left jobless following the closure of a mining company in Chingola on the copperbelt.

JES mining Limited, which specialised in the extraction copper ore, has been closed because of financial problems.

The mining company has been operating for the last three years.

The company, which is owned by three partners from Zimbabwe is now under liquidation.

Labour Minister, Ronald Mukuma disclosed this in Parliament.

Mr Mukuma said the workers will be paid their terminal benefits.

[ZNBC]

East Africans Make Contrasting Journeys to Face Zed Opponents

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Zesco United and Green Buffaloes’ Africa club championships opponents from East Africa are traveling to Zambia this week in dramatic fashion.

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for one, arrived this morning from Kampala without head coach Frank “Video” Anyau ahead of Saturday Caf Africa Champions League preliminary round, final return leg match in Ndola.

Anyau was fired last night on the eve of their departure from Kampala.

This follows a three-match winless streak coming on the back of their 2-0 defeat against Zesco in the first leg played on February 16.

Also missing from the 23-member traveling party is URA top striker Ismail Kigoz who is serving an indefinite suspension for insulting a club official after URA’s loss in Zesco a fortnight ago.

URA will for this Saturday’s game against Zesco be under the temporal charge of their Uganda international goalkeeper Ibrahim Mugisha.

The team that arrived at Lusaka International Airport mid-morning today later traveled to Ndola by road.

Meanwhile Green Buffaloes Caf Confederations Cup opponents Chipukizi of Zanzibar will not fly to Lusaka for this weekend’s engagement.

Chipukizi however, has embarked on a grueling thousand mile transcontinental journey from Pemba Island to Lusaka.

They began their long overland journey from Zanzibar by ferry to the Tanzanian mainland before taking the long road trip down to the Great North Road to Lusaka.

Buffaloes lead the first leg 5-0 and are set to wrap-up their 1st round qualification this weekend where they are likely to face Highlanders of Zimbabwe.

Highlanders host Clube Ferroviário de Nampula of Mozambique whom they lead 3-0 from the 1st leg played a fortnight ago.

ZESCO seeks $600 million for upgrades

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ZESCO is talking to financiers from Japan, India and western countries about a $600 million financing package needed to boost power output, a senior industry official said on Tuesday.

Monica Chisela, ZESCO senior manager for marketing and public relations, said the $600 million would be initial funding for power projects which are anticipated to cost a total $2 billion to raise power output to 2,500 megawatts.

Chisela said ZESCO was negotiating with export credit agencies, the World Bank and other financiers.

“ZESCO is sourcing funds from Development Financial Institutions like the African Development Bank, World Bank . . . export credit agencies like India Exim (and) Japan Exim,” Chisela told Reuters.

Chisela said ZESCO planned to raise power generation to fix a deficit which has forced industry to reduce output.

“In the short to medium term, about $600 million capital investment is required by ZESCO and over $2 billion capital investment is required in the long term,” Chisela said.

Chisela said infrastructure expansion was already in progress and that it was being done under a government-driven power rehabilitation project (PRP).

She said the country’s largest power project would be the Kafue Gorge Lower, which is estimated to cost $1 billion. The government has engaged the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, to undertake a feasibility study.

“It is anticipated that, under the current cost estimates, it will cost about $1 billion to construct Kafue Gorge Lower Power Station,” Chisela said.

Chisela said expansions and upgrades at the other two power stations, the Kafue Gorge and Kariba North Bank were expected to be completed in December 2008.

“It has been estimated that developing the Itezhi-Tezhi Power Station will cost $230 million and construction works will commence before the end of 2008,” Chisela said of the project awarded to Tata Group of South Africa and targeted to be completed by 2012.

Zambia, like many other southern African countries, has been hit by power outages which have forced copper and cobalt mines to scale down production.

Officials say the country cannot meet demand from the mining and agriculture sectors, where expansion in the last couple of years has not been matched by investments in power generation.

ZESCO data shows that 772 megawatts is currently generated from a capacity of 1,300 megawatts, while total Zambia power demand is 1,600 megawatts.

“The current maximum demand is 1,600 megawatts and it is anticipated to reach 2,500 megawatts in the next five years,” Chisela said.

Nickel mine builds own power line

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Zambia is on track to complete the construction of a dedicated power supply line to its first nickel mine where production of 8,600 tonnes of nickel will commence mid-year, an industry official said.

Sixtus Mulenga, general manager of Albidon Zambia Ltd., a unit of Australia’s Albidon Ltd. said the building of a power line to supply electricity only to the Minali nickel mine was progressing well.

“We have a dedicated power line from Kafue Gorge to make sure that we have power all the time. Construction of the power line is progressing very well and we should be commissioning production at the mine mid this year,” Mulenga told Reuters.

Mulenga was speaking late on Monday during a visit to the Munali nickel mine by eight directors of the International Monetary Fund who are in Zambia to assess economic development and inspect some of developmental projects.

He said Albidon had agreed to finance the power line at a cost of $3 million stretching nearly 70 km (44 miles) from Kafue Gorge power station to Munali Hills, south of the capital Lusaka.

Albidon was constructing its own power line to have sufficient power supply at the mine and avoid power outages, which have affected the rest of Zambia’s copper and cobalt mines.

Nearly all the copper and cobalt mines have slashed output due to power shortages which have worsened in this mineral-rich country of 12 million people since January this year.

Mulenga said Albidon Zambia also had long-term plans to set up a nickel smelter. He gave no further details.

In 2007, Albidon Zambia said annual production would comprise approximately 8,600 tonnes of nickel, 1,400 tonnes of copper, more than 400 tonnes of cobalt and 15,000 ounces of platinum group metals (PGM) in concentrate per annum.

Zambia is one of the world’s top copper and cobalt producers but Munali nickel mine will be the country’s first producer of nickel.

The Munali nickel mine has a 10-year life-span which could be extended through further exploration.

Zambia targets higher coffee output in 2008/09

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Zambia plans to raise coffee output to 4,300 tonnes in 2008/09 from 3,500 tonnes the previous season, but the sector still faces many hurdles, a senior industry official said on Tuesday.

Joseph Taguma, the head of the Zambia Coffee Growers Association (ZCGA), said coffee production would rise despite various problems.

“There are still many challenges we are facing which are making the sector grow at a slow pace,” Taguma told Reuters in an interview.

Taguma said coffee production was being constrained by lack of long term financing, transport and higher labour costs and fuel prices, forcing many farmers to stop growing coffee in preference to other export crops.

Zambia grows and exports washed arabicas, including its premier Triple A brand coffee mainly shipped to Japan.

“The number of small scale farmers has shrunk to about 91 from 161 while only 18 commercial farmers grow coffee on a large scale. There are several problems which are forcing farmers to stop growing coffee,” Taguma said.

He said commercial banks in Zambia were not willing to lend farmers on a long-term basis.

“To grow coffee on a viable basis, we need financing of between eight and 13 years, but banks cannot lend on those terms. The labour costs are also very high in this country and this is discouraging farmers,” Taguma said.

Taguma said coffee growers were also facing tougher competition from copper miners for road transport due to an unreliable railway network.

Taguma said transporting coffee to sea ports would become a problem as more foreign mining firms begin to use trucks to carry copper to Dar-Es-Salaam in Tanzania and Durban in South Africa.

In 2006, most farmers cut jobs and reduced their production in Zambia when the kwacha appreciated against the United States dollar by 30 percent.

Taguma said high fuel prices had also discouraged farmers who use irrigation equipment to grow coffee. Fuel costs almost $2 in the southern Africa country of 12 million people.

However Taguma said that the future was bright despite the problems farmers were facing.

Zambia does not grow coffee on a large scale like Kenya and Ethiopia, but its coffee is sought by buyers in Japan, the United States and Europe.

Sata thanks Kanyama voters

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Patriotic Front president, Michael Sata, has thanked the electorate in Lusaka’s Kanyama constituency for electing a PF member of parliament in last week’s by election.

Mr. Sata said the new MP, Gerry Chanda, has a task to adequately address problems affecting the people of Kanyama.

He was speaking at a press briefing.

Mr. Sata said his party will hold rallies in Kanyama this weekend to thank the electorate.

Col. Chanda replaces Henry Mtonga who died in South Africa last year.

Eight candidates, who included All Peoples Congress Party president Ken Ngondo, contested the Kanyama seat.

Zambia 2011 preps impress Zone Six

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TWO visiting ministers from the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Six have said they are impressed with the progress being made by Zambia towards hosting the 2011 All-Africa Games scheduled for Lusaka.

Sports Permanent Secretary, Bob Samakai, said in Lusaka yesterday after the regional SCSA team inspected some facilities earmarked for the Games that a delegation from the SCSA secretariat in Yaoundé, Cameroun is expected in Lusaka today to evaluate the actual works done by Zambia in readiness for the Games set for July-August 2011.

Samakai said the Zone Six ministers inspected the University of Zambia (UNZA) main campus, the Natural Resources Development College (NRDC), Independence stadium and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) multi-purpose sports complex site.

Makhenkesi Stofile from South Africa and John Mutorwa from Namibia were happy with the progress made so far.

Samakai said the UNZA main campus, the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), the Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and NRDC had been earmarked to be the Games villages for athletes and officials.

Samakai said two ministers who arrived on Sunday for a four-day visit were generally impressed with construction works at the proposed site for hostels at UNZA and with the works that had already commenced at the site.

“They are happy with the works that we have started. They know we are just starting and they are interested in pushing so that we quickly reach our target by next year,” Samakai said.

He said the NOC multi-purpose sports complex will be completed by October next year, while the Independence Stadium which will be used for the official opening and closing ceremonies, is set for completion towards the end of 2009.

“They were happy that we have got these deadlines. As for the accommodation units, the ministry of Education will put up some, while ours will start soon. We already have the designs,” Samakai said.

The team is today scheduled to visit Nkoloma and Woodlands stadia and the Barclays and National Sports Development Centre sports complexes which will also be used by the athletes during the Games.

Approximately 10,000 athletes from about 26 disciplines are expected to converge in Zambia for the All Africa Games.

[Times of Zambia]

Economic gains have spawned new battles says Levy

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PRESIDENT Levy Mwanwasa has said the successes associated with Zambia’s economic reforms have raised challenges of the need for concessional borrowing to augment the gains.

And the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended Zambia’s economic performance in the last five years, describing the country as a showcase.

Dr Mwanawasa said in Lusaka yesterday that the IMF should help find a solution to the problems associated with borrowing of non-concessionary loans for the country to be able to finance infrastructure development.

He said this when a delegation of IMF executive directors paid a courtesy call on him at State House.

“Clearly, the success associated with the reforms we have undertaken in the past is raising new policy challenges, such as the issue of concessional versus non-concessional borrowing.

“Many African economies, such as mine, have responded well to the reforms. To go further, however, their economies need infrastructure, which costs much more,” he said.

On the other hand, Dr Mwanawasa said, the available concession funding could not meet the demand and wondered whether countries should give up the opportunities to expand the economies because of that.

“Are there no other possible solutions to prevent reckless borrowing associated with non-concessionary borrowing? The IMF should help us answer that,” he said.

He said the Zambian economy had greatly improved and it was being boosted by the export of minerals and non-metal goods, resulting in the quadrupling of export earnings while the national reserve was now more than US$1billion.

He was, however, quick to mention that development was a shifting target with never-ending challenges.

Currently, the most significant one was to expand the economy and ensure that development trickled down to the poor.

The President said it was for that reason that the Government introduced a new tax regime for the mining sector.

He assured that no mining company would get less than what they projected to get at the inception of their investments.

To prevent frustration of economic growth, he said, the Government had singled out energy as one of the hurdles and it would invest in new generation capacity as well as efficient management of the existing ones.

On the floods, Dr Mwanawasa said the country was at the risk of having an outbreak of communicable waterborne diseases, hence the need to help address it.

Earlier, IMF alternate director - Italy, Miranda Xafa and executive director for Africa Group One, Peter Gakunu, said Zambia was one of the showcases in terms of economic performance.

The duo said the country was on the right economic path and all it needed to do was to address a few challenges on the way to ensure continued success.

Mr Gakunu said Zambia had made tremendous economic progress in the last five years that had resulted in debt forgiveness, an improved macro-economic sector, among other indicators.

Apart from Ms Xafa and Mr Ganuku, others in the delegation were executive director, Aleksei Mozhin (for Russia), Ambroise Fayolle (for France), Jonathan Fried (Canada), Huayang Ge (China) and Age Bakker (the Netherlands).

Others were two of Mr Ganuku’s advisors, Diendonne Nintunze and Inyambo Mwanawina as well as senior communication officer, Lucie Mboto Fouda.

[Times of Zambia]

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