Kumar was very arrogant - Shamenda
By Allan Mulenga
Sun 01 Dec. 2013, 14:01 CAT
LABOUR minister Fackson Shamenda says he will not support deported Konkola Copper Mines chief executive officer Kishore Kumar's return to Zambia because of his arrogance to him and President Michael Sata.
Commenting on Vice-President Guy Scott's statement that Kumar has appealed against the deportation and the government was considering the move, Shamenda said Kumar not only exhibited arrogance towards him, but also to President Sata.
"I don't like his Kumar approach to industrial relations and I will not support his coming back anyway. From my point of view, I don't like arrogant employers. Even they have an attitude like the apartheid or neglecting the workers, we are trying to harmonise industrial relations," he said.
"...not that employers should be arrogant; we want to have a situation where there is harmonious industrial relations for higher levels of productivity. The employer will get his part, the government will get the resources from the taxes and then the employees will have a comfortable life. That's all what we want in life and that is the approach of the Patriotic Front government."
Shamenda said he would not tolerate arrogant employers in the country.
"I have reported his behaviour which is highly unwarranted. As for whether he was going to come back or something, my working relationship with him will be very difficult," he said.
Shamenda said unlike his predecessor, Kumar was not reasonable when dealing with labour matters.
"I don't care whether there is Kumar or no Kumar, but as far as I am concerned Kumar was very arrogant. He was arrogant to me; he was arrogant to the President. So for me I have no time for such characters. So far I am working very well with other persons, like his predecessor; he was a gentleman. I highly regret that he left. You could differ in principle, but still more he was a very humble fellow. He was a polite guy," he said.
Shamenda said Kumar should shoulder the blame for his deportation.
"...for Kumar when the President said, 'you should go and tell Kumar he should not dismiss people', he said, 'me industrial relations are not my priority, I am going for a technical meeting'. I said, 'my friend, the President is saying I should discuss this issue with you'. He says, 'policy statements are rhetoric.' That is how the whole thing started and then he went for that technical meeting at Intercontinental Hotel. That is when the Minister of Home Affairs wanted to confirm from him, then he started running away. That is how he was declared a PI prohibited immigrant," said Shamenda.
On Friday, Vice-President Scott told Parliament that Kumar had appealed against his deportation, and the government was considering the move.
Labels: FACKSON SHAMENDA, GUY SCOTT, KCM, KISHORE KUMAR, TAX EVASION
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KCM boss contests his deportation
By Abel Mboozi
Sat 30 Nov. 2013, 14:01 CAT
DEPORTED Konkola Copper Mines chief executive officer Kishore Kumar has appealed against the action, and the government is considering the move, Vice-President Dr Guy Scott told Parliament yesterday.
And Vice-President Scott told the House that there was nothing sinister for UPND vice-president Dr Canisius Banda or any other Zambian to visit State House to exchange notes with the head of state on national issues.
Meanwhile, Kabompo West UPND member of parliament Ambrose Lufuma has questioned why the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Mines should sit on the board of First Quantum Minerals Limited.
Responding to Chimbamilonga PF member of parliament Hastings Chansa, who asked what the position of the government was on the proposed loss of jobs at KCM and on Kumar, who fled the country, Vice-President Scott said he had information that the chief executive had appealed.
This was during the 30-minutes question time session for the Vice-President in the House.
Kumar was early this month deported for defying President Michael Sata's directive for KCM not to lay off any worker, after the mining giant went ahead to prune 76 workers.
Kumar had announced that KCM would lay off over 1,500 workers as the mining company was seeking to mechanise its operations.
This announcement prompted President Sata to warn the mining giant not to lay off a single worker or risk having its mining licence revoked.
In response to the question Vice-President Scott said: "The chief executive, Mr Kumar was deported but he has appealed, thus his return matter is being considered by the ministry (home affairs) and by the government. It's very routine, the law says if you are deported, you leave, and you appeal if you want to appeal 'chapwa' 'kwamana' (it's finished)," Vice-President Scott said, sending the House into laughter.
On the pending job losses, Vice-President Scott said there was a committee of 12 people and very highly powered people who were engaged over the matter.
"I am told the ultimate beneficial owner of KCM has been in the country and he has assured us that there will be no job losses, so we are on to this one very hard," he said.
Monze Central UPND member of parliament Jack Mwiimbu asked Vice-President Scott to reconcile this position with home affairs minister Edgar Lungu's statement to the nation that Kumar was never deported but that he left Zambia on his own volition and that the government had no intentions of deporting him unless under compelling circumstances.
Vice-President Scott in response said: "To clarify the situation, Kumar left, he ran, he bolted and he was followed closely behind by the prohibited immigrant status."
And Vice-President Scott told the House that State House was open to any citizen of Zambia.
He was responding to a question by Bwacha PF member of parliament Sydney Mushanga, who wondered why the UPND was making an issue out of Dr Banda's visit to State House to confer with President Sata over national issues.
Mushanga said Dr Banda was under pressure to disclose what he had discussed with the head of state.
Vice-President Scott said: "Certainly as far as any Zambian citizen visiting State House is concerned, if the President invites them or they invite themselves, it's certainly normal to speak to the head of state."
Meanwhile, Lufuma wondered whether it was not a breach of the law for the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Mines to sit on the board of FQML, to which Vice-President Scott responded that the trend was common but the government was reviewing it.
"This trend of wearing two hats is quite common; it's not just the Ministry of Mines. It has become a bit traditional in Zambia that boards contain PSs but this is currently under review," he said.
Lubasenshi Independent member of parliament Patrick Mucheleka wondered what the government was doing to deal with mining companies that were engaging in tax avoidance, and Vice-President Scott assured that measures were being taken to correct the anomaly.
Mafinga MMD member of parliament Catherine Namugala asked if the Malawian government had paid for the fuel that Zambia gave to that country last year, and Vice-President Scott said no payment had been made yet.
Labels: KCM, KISHORE KUMAR, TAX EVASION
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Govt shouldn't allow KCM to blackmail it - Maimbo
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Mon 04 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
LOCAL mining consultant Chris Maimbo says the PF government should not allow itself to be blackmailed by KCM that has come up with persistent threats of mass layoffs .
On Friday Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) chief executive officer Kishore Kumar announced that 1,529 miners would be retrenched within the next three years as the country's biggest mining operation intends to reach automation and mechanisation of its operations.
Commenting on the issue, Maimbo said it was clear that KCM was not telling the government and the nation the truth as in June this year, the company wanted to retrench over 2,000 miners and gave the nation a set of totally different reasons.
"We are able to see that this company we call Zambia's mining giant is trying to play games because early June this year, KCM said they wanted to retrench 2,000 workers because of the impact on the operations arising from the implementation of Statutory Instrument numbers 32, 33 and 78, the changes implemented under the national budget as regards capital allowances and the increase in mineral royalty tax to six per cent but these are progressive measures that were taken by the government to ensure that the country begins to see benefits from the mines," Maimbo said.
"Today, KCM is telling us about its intentions to reach automation and mechanisation of its operations as reasons to retrench miners within the next three years. Everyone is able to see that management is not being sincere and if they have failed, let them surrender the mine to government."
Maimbo said investors like KCM were making a lot of money from Zambia's rich minerals but the benefits to the people had been very elusive over the years.
He said KCM must put its house in order and deal with the issue of many expatriates working at its mines rather than talking about plans to retrench over 1,500 workers.
And former PF Copperbelt youth secretary Chanda Kabwe said it was unacceptable that KCM viewed mass layoffs as the only tangible solution to its operational challenges.
Kabwe said KCM should respect the Zambian workers who had contributed immensely to the company's growth to where it is today after the harsh privatisation process of the defunct Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM).
"It's time to put KCM management in its rightful position and make it realise that it is working with Zambians that have families. The actions of KCM are contrary to the manifesto of the PF that prioritises job creation. This will not be allowed and we are confident President Michael Sata, as usual, will act decisively to protect the interests of the nation and the miners at KCM," said Kabwe.
Labels: CHRIS MAIMBO, KCM, KISHORE KUMAR, TAX EVASION
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