The CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines employees who were quarantined by the Chinese Firm for over five months have been released.
According to a statement issued by Kirby Kaoma Musonda, the NDC Deputy Media Director, the employees were released yesterday following the intervention of Roan Member of Parliament Honourable Joseph Chishala.
Two weeks ago during the Vice President’s question time in parliament, the Roan lawmaker asked the government through the Vice President if they were aware about the quarantined employees at the mine due to COVID-19, but the Vice President’s response was that the government was not aware of it.
On 30th September 2020 the Roan Member of parliament visited the Ministry of Labour and had a meeting with the permanent secretary who promised that on a Saturday 3rd October 2020 they will together with the MP visit the mine to handle the issue.
As per their promise yesterday the 3rd October 2020 CNMC management was paid a prompt visit.
The entourage consisted of Mr charles Muwowo provincial labour commissioner, Mr Kaziya chanda Permanent Secretary ministry of labour, Mr Maloma Chiwezi provincial senior labour officer and they were accompanied by Roan Member of parliament Honourable Joseph Chishala.
Upon arrival at the mine the Chinese management scampered in all directions and left the mine site.
The entourage immediately started doing their inspection and they were in shock to see how the Chinese company had been keeping employees who were quarantined.
The Chinese firm was ordered immediately to release the employees and the entourage promised to visit the mine the next day on the 5th October 2020 and requested to meet all the Chinese management.
The employees who were spoken to thanked the Roan Member of parliament and the entourage for coming to their aid and releasing them from what they called SOBIBO.
The community hearing that the Roan MP and his entourage was at the mine site attending to the quarantined miners, the community ambushed the gates of the mine site to try and make a glimpse on what was happening in the mine while chanting slogans of Jubilation and said (Akana Kambwili nako nimbwili), a son of a leopard his also a leopard.
One of the wife’s of the miners spoken to was very happy and had this to say. (we are very happy that the Honourable member of Parliament Honourable Joseph Chishala has heard our cries and has come to our rescue. We have not been with our husbands for months now and seeing that they are out today, we can only thank God for what is doing through Honourable Joseph Chishala.
A lot of leaders has been telling us lies that they will make sure our husbands are released from quarantine, but it was all lies. We have been following the Honourable MP’s debate in parliament and he has always been pushing for this issue. Today we thank God it has come to pass.
We also take this opportunity ,as I stand here on behalf of others families to also thank the Labour Commissioner and the Labour Permanent Secretary and his entourage for the good job done. Said one of the miners wife’s.
The Roan Member of parliament Honourable Joseph Chishala spoke to the media and has since appealed to the government to put in strict measures on investors who come to invest in Zambia to follow laid down procedures on things which has to do with the welfare of the employees.
The Roan Lawmaker further said, these Investors are making a lot of money and yet what they are paying our own Zambia’s is peanuts and I can only call this as a joke, Honourable Chishala said.
We cannot have a situation were our own brothers are leaving in their own country like slaves this is unacceptable and should not be tolerated.
The Roan MP has also called on the Ministry of Water Development Sanitation and Environmental Protection to immediately visit the mine and see to it that their is order at the mine. As the mine site is a sorry site for now.
Such a long time surely and the authorities did not know about this?
what other vices are being committed right under the government’s nose?
Any sane being should not be clapping their hands for these Politians ati ‘you have done well to assist’
its way too late to come to the aid of the employees unless you are lobbying for support around the corner.
This is what to expect from the kind of leadership in pf.
To them a zambian is no more than a means of amassing wealth. A pawn that can, and will be sacrificed in order to get wealth.
And of course the Chinese masters won’t suffer any consequences even though this is possibly a case of false imprisonment, punishable under the law. And we have precedence under pf of workers being treated like animals and the chinese perpetrators facing no consequences.
Kwena ama reporters yamu Zambia awe!
What poor reporting! This is not quarantine imwe. Which company in Zambia has authority to quarantine anyone? What quarantine lasts five months? Ati The CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines employees who were quarantined by the Chinese Firm for over five months have been released. REALLY!! What law in Zambia allows for an employer to lock away his workers?
This was an abduction or kidnapping of employees. You should have talked to the police or lawyers to tell you what charges can be laid against these employers instead of coming up with terms that sanitise the dirty work done here. As reporters you are conniving with these Chinese abductors by acting as their PR
This cheap and crap, sorry.
Pathetic! Chinese employers are still doing this because they know they can, and will get away with it! It seems that any foreigner with so called ‘investment money’, can illegally detain Zambians right under the nose of Government. Where is the Ministry of Labour when these things are going on? People locked away for five months and the Minister is not aware of it? Resign please.
If this is true and it were in Rwanda Kagame would ask the chinese to leave the Rwanda now, or else…
Five months? Is that really true or just politicking on behalf upmd?
We need a commission of inquiry into this.
Ati quarantine! Quarantine yakuti???
MUZ, NUMAW & UMUZ are the trade unions that enjoy these workers’ union contributions. Where were they when their members were suffering? Trade Unionism isn’t just about salary negotiations. Union leaders are getting fat while their members are suffering. You can’t always blame government! In the days of Timothy Walamba or Cameron Pwele these Chinese would have seen the blue moon. Even FTJ as ZCTU President could’ve sorted them out. Now we have Union leaders that have only bottom power, too much mutototo
We ought to applaude Honourable Chishala, for bringing to public knowledge, this brazen violation of the employees’ human rights.
Chambia indeed
Am back from tour of duty in Zambia.
Such is a common pathetic practice by the new colonialists (Chinese) and the Chinese know it, PF government is nothing to be bothered with as Zambia is co-governed by Chinese – PF begs resources without shame by subjecting Zambians to modern day slavery.
Yes, visited the site where more than 12 Zambians died drowning in Lundazi river due to a washed up bridge 9 months ago, the bridge un repaired to date. Meanwhile Dora Siliya was cheating Zambians with tribal remarks of not voting for someone from Lundazi. Dora Siliya drove in that dirty road all the way from Lundazi to Chipata without shame, urging Zambians to vote for PF. They are mistaken, PF is dying fast and people who i nteracted with said “by the end of 2020, PF will be dead in Lundazi” I…
This is madness, it should never get to this point in the first place
Pay them for forced quarantine for 5minths of their salaries
The behaviour and conduct of the chinks in Zambia generally must be seriously addressed by the PF government. Situation is getting out of hand.
While its true the buck stops at the current government to monitor these so called investors, People must participate in the governance of their country. What has happened to the various unions in this country, whose interest are they serving?? It can not be true that the local labour office did not know about this situation! Everyone is pointing fingers to Lusaka when we have local labour officers to intervene in such matters. Every district has labour officers and if only these officers were performing such horrors would be avoided.
Where is the spirit of patriotism where a few coins the unions are ready to look the other way, the labour officer too and we point corruption at politicians?? Corrupt they are / maybe but we must look in the mirror each time you give a cop a K50 to get…
Zambian’s are the stupidest humans on the face of the planet. 5 months of forced quarantine! Why didn’t they simply walk out? I can assure you had the employers being black those *****s would not have allowed themselves to be held against their will. Ma Zambian nkonda nkanda bafikala. You are losing your country.
These are the leaders you voted for. Allowing foreigners to deal with Zambians anyway they like. Vote for them again at your perll. Zambia for Zambians periodt!
What poor reporting! This is not quarantine imwe. Which company in Zambia has authority to quarantine anyone? What quarantine lasts five months? Ati The CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines employees who were quarantined by the Chinese Firm for over five months have been released. REALLY!!
This was an abduction or kidnapping of employees. You should have talked to the police or lawyers to tell you what charges can be laid against these employers instead of coming up with terms that sanitise the dirty work done here. As reporters you are conniving with these Chinese abductors by acting as their PR
So anyone can wake up and kwalantayin anyone in Zambia ka? So any Chinese man can wake up and kwalantayin anyone in Zambia ka?