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Armcor Director asks South African Govt to Intervene Over Deportation From Zambia
A SOUTH African businessman deported from Zambia is consulting with South African diplomats over his forced departure from the country a week ago.
Armcor Security MD Jan Paxton is the latest of several foreign business people in Zambia to be deported.
Lusaka-based Armcor is the largest security services provider in Zambia and employs about 6,000 staff. The company claims no deportation order was issued and that proper procedures were not followed in the deportation.
Mr Paxton said on Thursday he had been in Zambia for eight months before his deportation.
The deportation comes as more South African companies expand into Zambia, according to regional nonprofit organisation, the South Africa-Zambia Chamber of Commerce, which was established a year ago.
Recent instances of foreign investors being arrested and deported by the Zambian government have had media in the country raise concerns that the deportations could be politically motivated, with Zambian businesses apparently using government connections to eliminate foreign competition.
But Zambian Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo said on Wednesday the government had deported Mr Paxton over tax evasion by Armcor.
“The government has instituted investigations in tax compliance for all companies. It has been established by relevant investigating revenue authorities that the government has lost colossal sums in tax evasion by this company (Armcor),” Mr Kampyongo said.
Armcor has said it is seeking legal advice on the matter.
Mr Paxton is in South Africa consulting with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation for assistance in liaising with Zambian authorities.
At least five other foreign business people from Nigeria, Italy and Egypt have been deported from Zambia in recent months.
Egyptian Shafik Mohammed owned a hospital in Livingstone in Southern Province before he was deported last month.
According to the government, Mohammed was arrested and convicted for unlawful possession of restricted drugs. He was deported under the Immigration Act. But other reports said he was deported as his wife would not join the ruling Patriotic Front.
Two Italian citizens — the operations director and the marketing director of Zambezi Portland — had their residence permits revoked and cancelled.
The Zambian government said the work permits were not renewed, following reports of abuse of workers.
Mr Kampyongo said the business environment in Zambia remains supportive to law-abiding investors and those doing genuine business need not worry.
Posted by Editor
on April 5, 2013. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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Callboy Lusaka
April 5, 2013 at 10:29 am
Please observe our laws.
am a serious PF DIE HARD.
April 5, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Good job PF..deport them foreigners who are misbehaving in zambia.
umumtu
April 5, 2013 at 1:21 pm
Zambia is a nice country, everyone foreigner who comes wants to stay for good. the people are so docile to extent that foreigners enjoy their stay. This should deportation should be a lesson to all misbehaving foreigners.
Ex fbi
April 5, 2013 at 1:24 pm
We want law abiding citizens whether local or foreign
robyfast
April 5, 2013 at 1:32 pm
All the government want is 4 foreigners 2 observe the law.
Selenii
April 5, 2013 at 1:45 pm
Wouldn’t it be more logical to take him to court and try and recover the money first, then perhaps deport him? All you people agreeing with this trend of deportation are blind followers. Non of those deported stepped in a court of laws, what happened to innocent till proven guilty? This is why we have courts otherwise we turn into a lawless state as we are seeing with the strippings and riots!
ken
April 5, 2013 at 3:12 pm
@seleni: you just read the immigration act. If an investor is not living to the agreed terms, he gets his permit cancelled. If a foreigner just lives in Zambia and commits a crime, he will go to court.
In this instance, Amcor evaded tax. The Boss gets kicked and the company is asked to make good the payments and pernalties. A CEO of a foregn company which defaults cannot be charged in his own cogniscence but only gets a boot and his company made to oblidge.
In some Southern african Countries, you break the law as a foregner, you get tied to a moving police van and bleed your life out.
critico
April 5, 2013 at 4:46 pm
sense mwana, sense.
DIMMA
April 5, 2013 at 3:15 pm
Let them invest, but we need taxes paid. We are no longer land-linked as some economists suppose: we are land-locked. In short, rip them out of taxes as much as the law permits!
Wesley Snipes is is prison coz of tax evasions.
Our people are suffering while these, so called, investors loot the country’s economy through remittances of hard earned (if not borrowed) dollar back to their country! Imagine the outflows! Dollars!!!
If you didn’t know, the politicians are pissed coz there is quite a cobbo in this line of business. Moreover, they must be realising why the dollar is weak. I say, let them go!!!! I say, they’ve go to go to send a message to the next investor!
So, politicians, polices forces, imigration officers, tax collectors, fellow Zambians, rise to the occasion to linch any non-law abiding “foreigner”. This could also mean more money in our pockets.
Excuse the Zambians in the meanwhile. They need to recover!(joke)
Our people are suffuring terribly at the hands of the so called investors. I should venture in this line of business as well – Too lucrative if I should say so myself!
I need more news on this matter. More depotations!!!!
Popopo
April 5, 2013 at 9:15 pm
Am in support deport the baggers !
james
April 5, 2013 at 9:44 pm
Fools government was paid to deprot this guy. SA should deport the 20 000 zambians working in SA.
BGwangoile
April 5, 2013 at 10:22 pm
I come from Zimbabwe and I think it is better that the government of Zambia deported him. He is a problem believe my brother and sisters. As an investor, why would he just be picked for deportation? unless something is wrong
General
April 5, 2013 at 10:32 pm
The law in South Africa is that you can externalize or send out of South Africa, money gained in south Africa. What does this tell you? yet in in Zambia you claim its a free market economy, and huge cash is earned and sent out? I think for example, what BOZ to control Forex is good thing, money earned in Zambia should be spent in Zambia after all that is what South Africa is doing. As for tax aversion, its a crime you lose your stratus in this case permit revocked, simple and strait forward.
Ken
April 6, 2013 at 4:57 am
I was arrested, detained and deported from SA for drinking beer in public. Should this Armcor Thief Executive be treated any lighter than I was in his country? We should for once cheer these officers. If my offence was deportable, whats wrong with this action. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
Uli chipuba
April 6, 2013 at 8:19 am
Zambians, thats all we know , drinking ,
No wonder why foreign investors are busy stealing our money because we are always drunk
Danje Lacky
April 6, 2013 at 8:45 am
We are not SA province full stop
wesu
April 6, 2013 at 9:17 am
ba james ubupuba,let rsa deport those who are misbehaving and not evry zambian working their,you think it is only our people who are benefiting in rsa?even their govnmt is benefiting thru taxes and other thngs,kabiye kusukulu chi james ubututu.
Fodya
April 6, 2013 at 1:46 pm
What is so sweet in Zambia that you can’t let go?
Sheep Skin
April 6, 2013 at 3:32 pm
its only zambia that is soft on makwelekweles. check around her neighbors and lean something.Foreigners are taking our zambia away slowly.Lets wake up.
MOSQUITO
April 6, 2013 at 4:43 pm
BUT BE CAREFUL SOME OF THESE DEPORTATIONS ARE NOT GENUINE COZ WE SHALL END UP DEPORTING ALL FOREIGNERS WHICH WILL NOT BE GOOD FOR OUR REPUTATION,ON GENUINE REASONS YES BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE A ROUTINE,LIKE WE HAVE HEARD THAT SOMEONES WIFE REFUSED TO SUPPORT PF THEN THE HUSBAND WAS DEPORTED.WHATS THAT?