Konkola CEO Kishore Kumar (Lusakatimes.co.zm Picture)
According to Lusakatimes.co.zm on November 08, Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) Chief Executive officer Kishore Kumar has been deported.Reports reaching QFM News indicate that Mr Kumar has been deported for defying President Michael Sata’s directive for the mining company not to layoff a single worker, after KCM went ahead to lay off 76 workers.
When contacted for a comment,Immigration Department public relations officer Namati Nshinka, told QFM that Mr Kumar left the country yesterday on his own without giving further details.
Mr Kumar had recently announced that KCM would lay off over 1,500 workers as they seek to mechanise their operations.
This announcement prompted President Sata to warn the mining giant not to dare lay off any worker or risk having its mining license revoked.
And MMD president Nevers Mumba has accused President Michael Sata of abusing his office by deporting the KCM chief executive officer.
Dr Mumba says issues such as the one involving KCM cannot be resolved by deporting people.
He says the best way is for government to sit down with KCM management and union representatives and find the way forward.
Dr Mumba says such heavy-handed tactics may result in the loss of even more jobs.
And vice president Guy Scott when asked in parliament today what immediate measures government would take against KCM for going against the presidential directive said he expected tough measures to be taken.
The Vice President has said Government will soon take appropriate action on the firing of 76 workers at Konkola Copper Mine as reported in the media on Thursday.
“We did not want to come out strong but at the same time investors must realised that effort of growing Zambia and distributing of its wealthy needs to be harmonised, I think there have been some careless talks by some investors,” said the Vice President.
The Vice President said this in Parliament during the Vice President Question and Answer time when responding to MMD Chadiza Member of Parliament (MP) if PF Government was failing to bring law and order in the country following the firing of 76 KCM workers despite the President warning that no single worker should be dismissed.
“The matter was reported yesterday and we have not yet made any appropriate decision, by if the Member asks this in two week time I will give you an appropriate answer because we would have made a decision,” Dr Scott said.
MMD Mafinga MP Catherine Namugala also questioned the Vice President if he does not think castigating investors in public was going to scare away potential investors and make Zambia undesirable investment destination.
In his response Dr Scott told the House that governance was a balancing act and that Government had the right to protect the people of Zambia in as much as it also had the right to protect investors.
He said Government cannot abandon workers when it thinks management was being unreasonable.
“We did not want to come out strong but at the same time investors must realised that effort of growing Zambia and distributing of its wealthy needs to be harmonised, I think there have been some careless talks by some investors,” said the Vice President.
