Maravi

Minister angers ex-ZCCM workers

Minister angers ex-ZCCM workers
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 05 Sep. 2010, 21:30 CAT

A GROUP of former Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) employees have complained against labour deputy minister Simon Kachimba who allegedly referred them to Frederick Chiluba over their unpaid retrenchment packages.

In a walk-in interview yesterday, group representative Eston Mugala complained that Kachimba was treating them like destitutes by referring them to Chiluba who had no power to help them. He said their matter involving terminal benefits was well known by State House but that recently Kachimba referred them to Chiluba to sort it out.

“We were retrenched by the Chiluba administration on November 30, 1992, about 65 of us. The issue went as far as the Supreme Court but we withdrew because we did not have money to pay our lawyer Mr Sakwiba Sikota, who was demanding to be paid K4 million. Some of our colleagues have been paid, others have died on the way and we are only four now,” Mugala explained.

“So, we wrote to President Rupiah Banda and State House welcomed us very well. They later referred us to the Ministry of Labour where the Labour Commissioner Mr Noah Siasimuna treated us quite well.

He even instructed ZCCM-IH through a letter to pay us but the company refused, saying they do not obey verbal orders from the President. The worst thing is that labour deputy minister Simon Kachimba who has been dealing with us has suddenly changed his mind. He recently told us to see the former president Chiluba for help.

Kachimba said Chiluba has been put in charge of retrenchees by President Banda, so he is the only one who can help us.”
Mugala wished that God could pass instant judgment on their situation for them to receive justice.

“I wish God could judge these issues instantly as He did in the olden days; maybe we could have received justice. I don’t know if the President is aware of the treatment we are receiving from his ministers.

Is this the country we worked for, and why should we suffer for our money like this? Why our God, why are we made to sleep at the Intercity Bus Terminus, why?” Mugala asked as he broke down.

He said Kachimba had also been blocking the group from meeting labour minister Austin Liato.

“It has become a problem for us to see Honourable Liato. We are always told that he Liato is in a meeting or he is not feeling well, so we can come later.

If Honourable Liato is aware and he is avoiding us, fine, but we will remind him and the others that they are also workers who have children to feed. They will not be in those positions forever, just like others have been there before and they left to join us in suffering,” he said.

Mugala wondered if Kachimba and others had a conscience.
“I now agree with what William Banda said early this year that there are some ministers who are not working with President Banda.

The President welcomed us well and referred us to the relevant ministry, so why should we be referred to Chiluba again? Chiluba’s time is gone, and in fact it’s him who left us in this misery after abusing our money,” said Mugala.

“I know they will complain that we went to the media. Yes, let it be so because the situation is now out of hand. It’s them who have made it this way and the only hope we have is the media. Maybe the President can read and understand that we have been neglected.”

Labels: FREDERICK CHILUBA, LABOUR, SAKWIBA SIKOTA, SIMON KACHIMBA, ZCCM-IH

posted by MrK @ 4:43 PM