Southern Sun workers accuse manager of racism
By Joseph Mwenda
Fri 28 Oct. 2011, 08:40 CAT
EMPLOYEES and hotel guests at Southern Sun Ridgway Hotel in Lusaka have complained of alleged racial harassment and intimidation from the general manager Adrian Penny. But workers union representative Jacob Ngulube encouraged workers to follow the right procedure for airing grievances.
Impeccable sources within the hotel told The Post that the said senior manager had been harassing employees and some black guests at the hotel. But Penny dispelled the accusation, saying the workers hate him because he pushes them to work according to internationally accepted standards.
Meanwhile, a former guest confirmed being ill-treated during his stay at the four-star hotel.
A source at the hotel revealed that a senior chef was recently harassed in full view of other hotel staff and guests for preparing a wrong menu for one of the white guests.
"The guest ordered some food through the waiter and when her order was brought, she complained that it was not what she ordered. At that point the general manager heard her complain and he came, grabbed the plate with the food and went to splash it on the face of the chef after shouting at her," said the source.
"He always issues derogatory remarks at us, telling us that as Zambians we are very dull and docile people who need somebody to think for us."
But Penny said he pushes the workers to work according to internationally accepted standards.
"Our clientele coming into this hotel is about 40 per cent Zambian and 60 per cent international. I am a strict manager when it comes to the standards of the hotel. The only people who are complaining about me are the people who are not doing their job and I am pushing them to come to standard," Penny said.
[If they're not doing their job, why aren't they fired, Adrian? - MrK]
He said he socialises with all the guests as the general manager of the hotel.
"I greet all the guests, I speak to everybody without discrimination. But when it comes to staff, we have to provide an international standard. What is acceptable to the average Zambian is not acceptable to an average international traveller. We can't say here is a guest who says 'can I have a beer' and you ‘snoop' around. It's got to be snappy and it's got to be quick. So in that circumstance, yes I will say we go to provide an international standard because the Zambian standard is not sufficient," he said.
"It's like in the army; you can't complain about the sergeant because that training will one day save your life. I would rather dress somebody down than put something in writing to them and have the whole disciplinary procedure that can result into them losing their job."
Penny said he had worked in eight African countries and had no record of being a racist.
But a former guest at the hotel who was visiting from the Copperbelt said he was victimised once.
"I was invited for a game of squash at a venue just next to the hotel. I got a bathing towel and cleared the linen with the reception but as I was leaving the building, the general manager stopped me and accused me of stealing the towel. He shouted at me from outside and everybody was watching. It was so embarrassing," the victim narrated.
But Penny said he would have treated any other guest the same way.
"I know that gentleman from BP. He pulled out his vehicle, ran into the hotel gym jumped into his vehicle and was about to depart. I said, 'excuse me, this is hotel property'. Staying in the hotel gives you certain rights but it does not give you the right to remove property from the hotel. That was tantamount to theft. If that was a muzungu, or Indian or Eskimo, I would have reacted in the same way," said Penny.
He later solicited for random interviews with hotel staff who ironically confirmed the victimisation.
"He runs the hotel like it's a military academy. Besides that we get paid K611, 000 as basic salary without service charge allowances and before tax," said one housekeeper.
But Ngulube said no employee at Southern Sun had ever complained to the union about Penny's alleged behaviour.
"As far as I am concerned, no one has come to complain about Mr Penny. There is a way which we use to resolve such cases like in the past some workers who were dismissed have been reinstated after discussing the matter with Mr Penny himself," he said.
Ngulube assured the workers that the union would protect them if they reported abuses using the right channels.
Labels: CATERING, LABOUR, MANAGEMENT, RACISM
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OK given green light to fire incompetent manager
Court Reporter
The Supreme Court has granted OK Zimbabwe Limited the green light to dismiss a manager who was convicted of gross incompetence and inefficiency after her branch failed to achieve monthly targets set by the supermarket chain.
Ms Sifelani Makaita Gomo, a former branch manager at one of OK’s outlets, was suspended in 2004 for under-performance. She had failed to meet her employer’s expectations for the period extending from April to August 2004, resulting in the area manager warning her.
The problem continued, prompting the company to arraign her before a disciplinary hearing in January 2005 and she was convicted of gross incompetence.
Her employment contract was eventually terminated but she immediately appealed to the Labour Court, which ruled in her favour.
However, OK appealed to the Supreme Court against the decision to reinstate Ms Gomo.
Justice Misheck Cheda found merit in the appeal and set aside the Labour Court’s decision.
In his ruling, Justice Cheda said it was clear from the facts before the court that Ms Gomo had admitted to breaching OK Zimbabwe’s code of conduct and had no basis to challenge the dismissal.
"It is clear that the Labour Court found that the appellant was incompetent. Her own admissions confirm she was inefficient in the performance of work.
"The Labour Court erred in arriving at the conclusion it did which was against what is clear on the record.
"Accordingly, the decision of the Labour Court is set aside," ruled Justice Cheda.
Justice Cheda heard the appeal with Justices Vernanda Ziyambi and Wilson Sandura who both concurred with his ruling.
In its ruling, the Labour Court had found that OK had failed to prove gross incompetence and inefficiency and quashed the decision to fire Ms Gomo.
The lower court, instead, found that the level of incompetence was not so serious as to warrant dismissal.
The court further ruled that her dismissal was unfair and ordered that she be reinstated.
Labels: LABOUR, MANAGEMENT, OK ZIMBABWE
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Sale of Zamtel
Written by Benson F. Chipungu, Lusaka.
In my opinion one of the very few good things that Frederick Chiluba did when he was Republican president was to call back Mr R Mwansa from South Africa to come and save Zesco.
At the time, the monstrous parastatal was on the verge of total collapse due to mismanagement and government interference in the operations of the company. The results of Mwansa's call-up were amazing! We all saw a vibrant company whose presence was felt almost everywhere around the clock every day.
The state of Zamtel today cannot be compared to that of Zesco then. Zesco was practically limping.
Surely, are there no Zambian professionals who can manage Zamtel in a profitable manner and ensure its presence is maintained in today's competitive world of telecommunication?
Has Rupiah Banda got no confidence at all in his compatriots for him to start looking up to foreigners for the resuscitation of the company?
Rupiah's vision for our country is either badly impaired or there is something sinister behind his intended sale of Zamtel.
I have a very strong premonition that we are about to witness a state-sponsored scam that will only benefit Rupiah and his cronies whilst leaving a huge number of Zambians suffering.
We need to find a way of stopping this wanton raping of our economy.
Zamtel privatisation: employee’s concern
Written by Concerned employee, PK
Thursday, August 06, 2009 5:39:22 AM
I write to support my fellow Zamtel employee who wrote in a recent edition of The Post that the company is not valueless as our learned economist Rupiah Banda puts it.
First and foremost, I want to say even a grade 2 pupil can tell that a company like Zamtel with assets in all 72 districts in Zambia, with a fleet of over 500 vehicles, qualified technical manpower on which Zain and MTN have been founded, prime land, switches in all locations, not to mention the Mwembeshi Satellite Station, cannot be valueless.
Yes, every business owes someone. The little we owe the Chinese should not be a national anthem to sing at all press conferences. We dealt with the corrupt-free Swedish, Japanese and British in terms of technical support and no one sung a song. Now that we are dealing with Chinese, Zamtel is not viable.
Fellow Zambians, the problem we have here is corruption, unpatriotism, selfishness and being myopic.
None of our past managing directors has raised a finger to lambast the greedy politicians and tell the nation how these companies are milked. The current managing director presented a budget for the year 2009-2010 which was to see Zamtel make a profit, but the powers that be [Dora Siliya] dissolved the board the following day upon seeing that budget because it was going to derail their plans of selling the company for thirty pieces of silver.
I am schocked that the presenter of the budget - the managing director - has joined politicians after ascending to the throne on the basis that Zamtel is viable.
The reasons why Zamtel is ailing are: -
(1) it’s too centralised in its operations;
(2) the managing director makes decisions that are not implemented, they accumulate dust at the ministry before implementation and are usually overtaken by events;
(3) resources such as fuel, vehicles, hotel accommodation are abused by the government;
(4) lack of support from shareholders such as ministers, and the permanent secretary. Senior government officials are all on MTN or Zain, only when it’s free do they use Cell Z, that includes internet. [5] Former president Kenneth Kaunda’s policy for government to do business with Zamtel has been thrown out because there are no kickbacks when you do business with Zamtel. Services that Zamtel used to provide even at State House are now in private hands.
This company belongs to our children. Let’s not s**t in the well after drinking from it. Let the Chinese work in China, we don’t want Chinese cleaners here. Our children have the right to work, and Zambia will only be developed by Zambians.
Labels: MANAGEMENT, PARASTATALS, PRIVATISATION, ZAMTEL
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'It's not approved'
By Carol White
Thursday April 24, 2008 [04:00]
The power outages in Gauteng have caught the hoteliers napping. There isn’t a plan, “ b,” because management haven’t bought generators yet. It’s still on the agenda, staff in two hotels advised. One of the hotels in Rosebank had a notice in reception, that power was out between 10a.m. and noon daily. And so….what should the guests expect? Well there is just no power. One of the hotels in Sandton had no power all Saturday morning. For breakfast, there was not even bread available!
Guests were greeted by a display of frozen fruit and frozen muffins. What stopped management or the food and beverage team from hopping into their car and going to the Sandton Mall which is only five minutes away and buying all the necessary items for a continental breakfast.
When this question was posed, the answer was, “who is going to do it?” Well what about you or you or you? A look of blankness, “It’s not approved.” The chef resplendent in his white uniform continued his task of shining the silver.
A manager not in sight and the food and beverage area a mess. No one interacting with guests. Really a poor show. The hotel could set up a continental breakfast outside on the patio with purchases from the bakery at Sandton Mall.
For many of us, in senior management, we got where we are today, by being that person who took action. Hotels spend a percentage of revenue on training. Isn’t it really sad that solving problems and using common sense is not part of the curriculum. Maybe that’s why I have a problem with training programmes that are not practical.
In the corporate world, management is spending time on things that don’t bring the customer back. We are all guilty of ticking the “done that ” box and moving on to the next and next. As long as the boss is happy and we are meeting the corporate expectations.
Be radical and say this is not the way we should be doing business! Not another meeting on what customers think or want. Get down and change the things that we know need changing. Not another promotion – let’s do what our core business is about – serving customers and making money.
It is inspiring to see how there is no longer a formal hierarchy in becoming successful. The internet has changed this. So has the emerging middle class. There is now buying power in the middle class. This opens a new revenue stream. In Zambia, look at how many vehicles are on the road.
They all require fuel. If you owned a fuel station, would you persue the top corporate accounts, who by the way would be on account and probably pay in 45 days or would you open your outlet for 24 hours every day? Guess where you make more money? Now wouldn’t it be amazing to encourage this market to come to your outlet. Open 24 hours, have fresh takeaway food available. Wouldn’t a 24-hour repair centre be popular?
Interestingly in South Africa, people do not want to work overtime or on weekends, even if the money is double.
Do we have a weekend handyman service in Zambia, to repair plumbing problems and the general fix it requests? I bet this type of business would fly.
I love to say “my hair stylist,” in Johanesburg – well he is Jordanian and came to South Africa ten years ago. He has opened his own salon this month. He is not rich. He doesn’t have family in South Africa. He arrived not able to speak English. It’s about working and wanting to have a business.
Formal education does not prepare the youth for the working place. When I look at the text books, they are not much different to forty years ago. Surely this must change.
Africa is so rich with culture and has the resources to establish an African curriculum that can be accredited if that is so important.
Africa has to stand up and be proud and say, “It’s our time,” When power and energy is channelled into education in Africa there will be transformation and respect.
Honestly do we have to emulate the international systems? How relevant are they?
How African is Africa? I challenge all of us to ponder this.
I can see centres where foreigners will come to study Africa – African Academy’s through out – we have enough academics and intellectuals to make this possible in Africa.
We do live in a global world and yes its important to be able to be multicultural. What no one can buy or take away is our spirit and what makes us tick. Zambia must hang onto that. It is truly special.
shimika08 AT yahoo.co.uk
Labels: MANAGEMENT
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Nalishiwa bemoans poor working culture at agriculture ministry
By Pride Bwalya
Friday December 14, 2007 [03:00]
Agriculture and Co-operatives director of human resources Boniface Nalishiwa has bemoaned the poor work culture by registry staff under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Nalishiwa expressed concern over the problem of losing files. He said that important documents and files on various issues for public service officers such as emoluments, retirements, confirmations and promotions were taking long to be dealt with due to poor working attitude by some registry officers.
Nalishiwa said that some officers were not even found in offices and were not security conscious, committed and had poor work culture.
He said that record keeping in public service was part of state security that needed to be improved upon.
Nalishiwa said that registry departments in his ministry and other government departments were nerve centres of all systems ranging from security to decision-making in public service delivery.
He was speaking during the official opening of a one-week workshop on records management for Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives registry staff held at Zambia College of Agriculture (ZCA) in Monze on Wednesday.
He said that the workshop was intended to help registry staff in the ministry of agriculture to appreciate the whole concept of record management for them to improve and get acquainted with the new systems developed.
Nalishiwa said the government was aware that a good working environment played a pivotal role in motivating staff.
Labels: MANAGEMENT, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, WORK ETHIC
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Business consultant urges Zesco to identify stakeholders
By Joan Chirwa
Saturday July 14, 2007 [04:00]
A LOCAL business consultant has advised Zesco Limited to identify stakeholders that could help jump-start the utility’s operations for efficient supply of electricity in the country. And Small Holder Enterprise and Marketing Programme (SHEMP) Agribusiness Development Component team leader Gerrit Struyf said the current increase in demand for electricity necessitated by huge investments in mining would affect the agricultural sector if remedial measures are not quickly implemented.
Meanwhile, energy and water development permanent secretary Buleti Nsemukila has said the ministry would engage Zesco Limited to discuss the issue of infrastructure and tariffs raised by the power utility.
Jones Kalyongwe, in an interview, said the current problems in generation and supply of electricity in the country was as a result of inadequate cost-effective analysis of the power utility’s machinery.
“Zesco Limited should seriously look at its internal stakeholders and it should identify the interested stakeholders who can help in the running of the power utility,” Kalyongwe said. “It is important to identify the level of the stakeholders’ contribution and see what impact they can have on the current projects that Zesco Limited is carrying out.”
Zesco Limited managing director Rhodnie Sisala on Wednesday said the current load shedding was not attitude problem but as a result of inadequate investments in infrastructure.
Sisala said an upward adjustment to the current electricity tariffs could help the power utility finance some of its huge projects for efficient and quality supply of electricity in the country.
But Kalyongwe said Zesco Limited should access funding from the government, considering that a substantial amount allocated to line ministries was currently lying idle in commercial banks.
“We have heard the president talk about some Chinese who want to partner with Zesco Limited in electricity generation for the country. We have also heard the managing director of Zesco Limited saying that the utility cannot import power from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) because interconnector had been vandalised. And recently the Secretary to the Treasury indicated that about K700 billion meant for operations of different government ministries is lying idle in commercial banks.
Why can’t Zesco borrow this money?” Kalyongwe asked. “I worked in a factory before and the most important thing is to heavily invest in critical standby equipment which can be used in situations where you have a crisis. The equipment is quite expensive but it is the most important investment that big companies like Zesco Limited can ever make.”
Kalyongwe said investments in infrastructure for power generation should be made if that was the immediate solution to current power deficits the country was experiencing.
“In order to guard the economic life of Zambia, there is need to find a solution to the problem of power shortages by investing heavily in this sector,” Kalyongwe said.
“And I don’t think increasing electricity tariffs will be the best way to generate resources to fund Zesco’s projects. This will just alienate Zesco Limited from its clients. It is all about learning strategic management and planning so that critical planning can be done on how the utility should operate profitably in future.”
And Struyf said the current huge projects in the mining sector posed a serious threat to commercial agriculture since the mines consumed a lot of energy.
“Two smelters will soon be commissioned in Zambia and a lot more investments in the mining sector are happening in this country. I do not know whether the farmers are going to benefit anything from the current generated electricity.
The current situation which farmers have complained about is the load shedding and it has become very difficult to irrigate,” Struyf said. “What is needed is long term planning on the part of Zesco Limited so that most of the key sectors of the economy are supported through the efficient supply of electricity in the country.”
Nsemukila said the government was aware of numerous problems being faced by Zesco Limited and that his ministry would soon engage the power utility to critically discuss its challenges.
“As you are aware, the Minister of Energy has dissolved the Zesco and Energy Regulation Board (ERB) boards,” Nsemukila said. “On the issues that Zesco is raising, government is aware of these issues. It will be appropriate that the ministry engages them over issues raised such as the problem of infrastructure and tariffs. Zesco has been doing some rehabilitations of its plants and that is on-going. Otherwise, we will start hold meetings with them (Zesco) and we will issue a press statement after that.”
Zesco currently generates around 1,200 mega watts of electricity against a peak demand of over 1,400 mega watts, meaning the power utility has to either import the deficit of about 250 mega watts or carry out load shedding in order to stabilise the system.
Rehabilitation works and up-rating of Zesco’s major equipment is being undertaken, with hopes of increasing installed capacity from the current 1,670 mega watts to close to 2,000 mega watts at the end of the project.
Labels: MANAGEMENT, ZESCO
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