Chilangwa orders workers to secure Kawambwa Tea fields
By Godfrey Chikumbi in Kawambwa
Mon 05 Aug. 2013, 14:01 CAT
KAWAMBWA Central PF member of parliament Nickson Chilangwa has instructed workers at the abandoned Kawambwa Tea Company to commence the formation of firebreaks around the tea fields to secure them from bush fires.
Chilangwa's instruction follows the destruction of over 170 hectares of eucalyptus tree plantation by bush fires at the company last week because of lack of fireguards.
Over 3,000 cubic metres of cut timber intended for tea curing were burnt in the inferno.
The tea fields have been overgrown by grass because no weeding has taken place since 2011 when workers went on strike demanding to be paid salaries by Gombe Holdings, a company whose owner from Zimbabwe later ababdoned the plant.
But Chilangwa, who could not disclose where the money to pay the workers who would put up firebreaks would come from, said the government was displeased to learn that the tree plantation had been gutted by bush fires.
He said although the company was in private hands, the government would not watch the fields being destroyed by bush fires because the tea company belonged to the Zambian people.
He said the workers would create fire guards around the over 450 hectares of tea fields and were expected to complete the works within this month.
"We don't need to wait for the investor who is in Zimbabwe to come and put the fire guards when bush fires have already started destroying plantations. I will not tell you where we shall get the money to pay the workers from but we have agreed and the work will be done. These tea fields belong to Zambia and when they are destroyed, it is Zambia that will lose," said Chilangwa.
Labels: KAWAMBWA TEA COMPANY, NICKSON CHILANGA, TEA
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Striking Kawambwa Tea workers demand salaries before resuming work
By Kabanda Chulu
Mon 19 Dec. 2011, 13:58 CAT
WORKERS at Kawambwa Tea Company, who downed tools last October after Zesco disconnected power to the factory, have vowed never to return to work until management settles the 40 months salary arrears amounting to K1.3 billion.
And the Luena Farm Block in Kawambwa risked becoming a ‘non-starter' national project following government's inconsistency in funding the implementation of developmental projects.
The over 400 workers who gathered at the tea estate and factory on Saturday, told finance deputy minister Alfreda Mwamba that government should repossess the company or find another investor who should meet people's aspirations.
Since 2002, Kawambwa Tea Company has been owned by Kulmul Holdings of Zimbabwe, but the workers said the tea estate had been turned into a ‘modern day slave trade centre'.
"We have suffered a lot and these people don't mean well. They don't provide us with protective clothing and we have not been paid for 39 months. So we don't want to work with them anymore, let them pay us our money and bring in fellow Zimbabweans," Mathews Chewe said on behalf of the workers.
He said the investor's failure to pay the K90.6 million Zesco bills had resulted in disconnection of electricity supply to the entire plant and estate area including housing units.
"We walk 35 kilometers to grind maize because there is no electricity to power our hammer mills. We have sold our bicycles in order to meet basic needs and our children cannot go to school because we have no money and we don't have access to clean water since boreholes are not working," said Chewe.
Earlier, Kawambwa District Commissioner Mwita Kasengele said the company had been experiencing serious challenges that resulted in the entity to be placed on receivership.
"But management went to court and obtained an injunction which allowed the investors to continue running operations but ordered them to pay workers within five months beginning last November," Kasengele said.
Kasengele also said that very little had been done in implementation of activities in the Luena Farm Block.
"We have never received substantial amounts to make big impact and the little funding (K500 million) received went towards surveying, planning and sensitisation activities," he said.
Mwamba assured that government would talk to Zesco to find a solution especially that households of people were affected.
"We are constrained to talk about this matter since it is in court but government shall do everything possible to change people's livelihoods and it is unacceptable for people to stay for many months without being paid," said Mwamba.
"I am going to explain your plight to my Minister and the President and soon government will act since we are a working administration."
Labels: ALFRED MWAMBA, KAWAMBWA TEA COMPANY, LABOUR, STRIKE
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Bailiffs pounce on Kawambwa Tea
By Peter Sinyangwe in Kawambwa
Tue 02 Mar. 2010, 04:10 CAT
COURT bailiffs in Kawambwa have seized property at Kawambwa Tea Company (KTC) worth millions of kwacha. The seizure of property follows the non-payment of K15 million to a local transporter, Kafusha Investments and K22 million to four retired KTC workers. Clerk of the court Mathews Mushibwe confirmed the seizure of property.
He said vehicles that include trucks, tractors and a car were seized from KTC on February 22, 2010. Mushibwe said the seized properties were two runner Mahindra tractors registration numbers ABT 2426 and ABT 2428 with trailers. He said others were a runner Tata, a non-runner Mitsubishi and a Toyota Mark II.
Mushibwe explained that the items would be sold to the general public this Thursday around 10:00 hours if KTC fails to pay the transporter and retired employees before the auction day.
Labels: KAFUSHA INVESTMENTS, KAWAMBWA TEA COMPANY, MATHEWS MUSHIBE
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Repossess Kawambwa Tea Company, Chief Mwata Kazembe.
Thursday, July 16, 2009, 8:13
CHINA HENAN SITE Engineer Mr. Lou showing a map for the multi-million plan for the ongoing Government constructed Chienge District Hospital to PRESIDENTIAL Special Assistant for Projects implementation and monitoring Ben Kapita, Provincial Health Director Ericho Bwalya and Chienge District Commissioner Mwaba Lwaminda
Chief Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people in Luapula Province has appealed to government to repossess both the Kawambwa Tea Company and Mununshi Banana Estate.
Chief Mwata Kazembe implored government to consider repossessing the companies or find new investors to manage and run the estates.
The Mwata made the appeal today in Kawambwa when Presidential Special Assistant for Government Policy Implementation and Monitoring (PIM), Ben Kapita paid a courtesy call on him at his palace.
He noted that Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Estates were still viable projects but had been mismanaged by private investors who were currently managing them.
The chief said the managements at the companies had not paid workers their salaries for over 12 months and that production at the firms had extremely reduced.
The Mwata said that the management at Kawambwa Tea had not also laboured to reinvest in the company and to expand the plantation as it was still picking tea from the 423 hectares initial plantation put up by government before privatization.
Kawambwa Tea Estate is on a 2000 hectare plot most of it which is not utilized.
The traditional leader said both Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Companies were productive when they were in government’s hands prior to privatization.
He suggested that the two companies be repossessed and run as a consortium by government in order to ensure that the welfare of workers was safeguarded.
He said it is government’s responsibility to ensure that lives of the people in the area are protected.
“I’m not happy about the state of affairs at both Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Estate, my appeal is government should repossess these companies because our people are not benefiting from the current investors there,” Chief Mwata Kazembe said.
Meanwhile, the Mwata has commended government for creating the position in the President’s Office aimed at monitoring and evaluating government projects and programs in the country.
The late President Mwanawasa created the position of Presidential Special Assistant for government Projects and Programs in charge of monitoring and evaluation of the projects.
Mwata Kazembe said the position would enable reliable and informed feedback to the President on projects and programs that government was implementing.
The traditional leader said this would ultimately ensure that resources allocated to project implementation are used as intended in order to benefit the people.
The traditional leader said both Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Companies were productive when they were in government's hands prior to privatization.
And Mr. Kapita has said that government would consider the best alternative to revitalize Kawambwa Tea and Mununshi Banana Schemes to make them profitable again.
Mr. Kapita said government would not sit idle and watch its people suffer despite putting in their best to improve their livelihoods.
“it is not right to have workers go for months without pay, these companies were created at public funds expense and the public should benefit, government will find an alternative to make these companies profitable and stable again,” Mr. Kapita said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kapita said that government would continue funding and implementing programs and projects aimed at improving livelihoods of the people adding that it would not segregate development on political party lines.
Mr. Kapita has since urged government workers who are implementers of these projects to be committed in order to guarantee that government programs and projects benefit the people as intended.
He said government would not condone wastage of its resources on projects that had no positive impact on the ground.
Mr. Kapita is in Luapula Province to inspect government funded projects and programs.
ZANIS
Labels: CHIEFS, KAWAMBWA TEA COMPANY, MWATA KAZAMBE, NATIONALISATION
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