Kambwili Offers Himself to Miners, Disappointed With Shamenda
CHISHIMBA Kambwili says he is disappointed with the manner his labour counterpart, Fackson Shamenda, is handling miners’ affairs in Luanshya.
But Shamenda says he has his own style of doing business and that he will not be instructed on how he should work.
And Kambwili, the sports minister and Roan member of parliament, insinuated that Shamenda was not being proactive in dealing with the affairs of Luanshya Copper Mines.
![Savior Chishimba [l] and Chishimba Kambwili [r]](https://tumfweko.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Savior-and-Kambwili.jpg)
Savior Chishimba [l] and Chishimba Kambwili [r]
According to a recording of a April 24, 2014 meeting with miners which Kambwili addressed in Mpatamatu, and obtained by The Post, Kambwili had talked to Shamenda to instruct the chief executive officer of LCM to re-instate a miner Joseph Chishala who was fired recently.
According to Kambwili, Chishala had just been elected chairperson of the Mineworkers Union of Zambia Roan branch when Luanshya Copper Mines preferred a charge on him that Chishala did not disclose, at the time of his employment two years earlier, that he was dismissed from Lumwana Mine and that they proceeded to dismiss him on that basis.
“Surely, a person who was employed two years ago, and was even promoted, when he gets into the union you fire him, saying ‘he was fired where he came from’! What nonsense! If I were Minister of Labour, this person should have been reinstated immediately. We can’t treat our people like this. I have spoken to honourable Shamenda several times and the young man is still in the township. This is why the miners are not coming out to say their problems because there is no one to speak for you…,” Kambwili said.
“… The minister told me, ‘We have already spoken with the labour union and he has been reinstated’, but the guy came to my officer the other week that to date, the CEO has not re-instated him. Now what is the way forward?”
Kambwili promised the miners that he would take up the matter and personally intervene.
“I know I am supposed to do this through the Minister of Labour, but I think I have been let down. Let me take the bull by its own horn. I am going with you in the plant,” he said, sending the miners into ululations.
“Under normal circumstances, I am supposed to go to his Shamenda’s office and tell him about the problems you have or talk in Cabinet where we talk about one another. I cannot come in the open but today I have decided to address this meeting because it is like I have tried what I can and it appears, it seems not to be working out.
When contacted on what Kambwili’s statement, Shamenda said, “Let him move in if he wants. This man (fired miner) is a branch official. Usually for people who are unionised, government does not interfere. It is for the unions to bring it up. They should appeal on his behalf. That is the laid down procedure which is very straight-forward in the industrial and labour relations Act. I have asked the unions to investigate the case and they are doing something about it. If they fail, it will go to court because we (government) do not direct employers. We just mediate between workers and employers. My style of doing things is I don’t go and interfere where there is a trade union. We didn’t say as government we will defend even people who are indisciplined. That is why we dismissed some nurses. It all depends on the case.”
Kambwili told the cheering miners said he had problems with the manner in which Chinese investors where treating local workers.
“I still insist, even when I am minister, that I do not appreciate Chinese investors in the mines. In this town if we had another investor other than the Chinese, you could have seen… but they (Chinese) stay 40 to 60 people in a house. They don’t even rent people’s houses…. That is why I will die with my belief,” Kambwili said.
“When I was Minister of Labour, my target was to make sure that ama investors ba yamba ukucindika abantu, nomba mwe bene (investors start respecting local workers, but you yourselves), you said ‘you are being too harsh’. President nawo bamweba ati mufumyeko, ba OP nabambi; awumfwa, ebele fumako…(The President also was told that remove him by the OP and others and he listened and asked him to move),” Kambwili said amid laughter by the miners. “I promised you that I will iron them (I even started ironing them but just when I was about to put them there… pa calo ta paba ukuwamya (there is no doing good on earth).”
Kambwili said he was surprised by assertions that he was trying to do business with the Chinese and that was why he was so harsh on them.
“When I came to stand in 2006, I came as a businessman. I didn’t come with a Corolla; I came driving a Benz and other vehicles and I came from the West, where when you are walking, there is no dust. So you people who have problems, when we want to help you, support us,” he said.
“But I am surprised that people are saying, ‘he is wealthy, all the contracts, he is the one who is getting them’. But I get contracts so I can also buy you ambulances (laughter). Even those who are saying that they know that since I became MP, the records can show. I have never gotten a job (contract), apart from the one that sustains me, the same one Mpelembe Drilling did for development at Mopani and KCM. I didn’t even have a contract in Luanshya Copper Mine but ba munyamas are saying I have gotten all the jobs in the mines.”
“…I don’t deal with, sorry to say, ba Chinese. I don’t deal with them because I don’t want to be compromised. Money is a devil. It is what killed Jesus…I am a very principled person. So when you hear them saying, you know them, they stay in Roan.
“By God’s power in future…I bounce back as labour minister, I am coming for you Chinese.”
He said that people should learn to thank him because he had worked hard for his people.
“When someone is working and you are thanking him, it gives him power to do more. Which MP in Roan Constituency, I have bought ambulances, four from my own money. That ambulance from Kawama, I spent my own money, K150 million. Those two ambulances you see at the hospital, from England, K240 million, K120million, K120milion, from my own pocket,” he said.
“When I came, this place was looking like there was war. The way we are beautifying this place, government even refused to allocate us some money this year so that other areas can benefit, but I went there and said that, ‘if people in other areas don’t want to work on the roads, that is their fault. If you are giving us roads, you will also give us’; they gave us 31 kilometres.”
Kambwili warned Luanshya Copper Mine to respect the workers.
“You must understand you came here for the sole purpose of creating employment for our people, not to chase people like animals,” he said.
“If we are going to be fearful, we will lose an election. I believe that when you are hurt, you must show that you are not happy and it is only through pressure.”
And Kambwili confirmed having addressed workers in Mpatamatu adding that he had received information that the miners who attended his meeting are being threatened with dismissal.
“Even if I will be the only man standing, I will forever speak for the workers,” he said.
Kambwili also said he had information that some ministers were calling LCM to comfort them, stressing that he did not care because he had the support of the President.
“A wrong is a wrong and I will stand for my miners not only for the miners but for all workers. I have briefed the President over the issue of the mine (LCM). Are you not ashamed that the KCM can mock Zambians that he was given a mine for a song and given unnecessary red carpet treatment?”
“I am warning LCM CEO that he should not dismiss a single worker because the moment he does that, that is when he will be deported.”

Posted by
Editor
on May 18, 2014. Filed under
HEADLINES.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the
RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
UMWAUME
May 18, 2014 at 6:09 pm
Its difficult to trust the politicians like Kambwili. Uku alepontela ama Chinese uku balemulishamo. He chased the guy runing Botoms Up but is also doing the same things his friend was doing, Loud music disturbing the residents of RAKE and sorounding area. This is a man who has no diplomacy. He uses cheap psychology on the miners. Too bad most miners still belong to the 19th century. Any way, Kambwili nisebana wikute, real kaponya. A minister with night club…..kekekekekekeke.
B0Y
May 19, 2014 at 2:07 am
There is an old saying that statistically 90% of men masturbate, and the other 10% are liars.
basket mouth
May 18, 2014 at 6:20 pm
ba kambweli take it aesy,u re not good person &that’s not the way u can solve problems Sir, Sir did u go school?u like taken things personal,please sent me your contact number l teach things boss,
wisdom
May 18, 2014 at 7:07 pm
in certain situations we need people like kambwili and my father shamenda its not your style but what will save the situation in quickest time.
kakolwe
May 18, 2014 at 8:10 pm
What if, after all this ranting and raving, Kambwili found that the man he is supporting and addressing crowds about is actually a thief? Elyo ubupuba bukamokela real. You NEVER address the crowd for a single case, its puerile!!!! TOTALLY!!
MaxMbizo
May 18, 2014 at 8:20 pm
Looking at the two – Saviour Chishimba and Chishimba Kambwili – in their strange attire and weird demeanour, it’s clear ati balapepa ibange ilikali sana.
smoke
May 18, 2014 at 8:47 pm
Kambwili wants bu minister ku labour. Shamenda pull up your smoke, kambwila apatsa indicator. ku sports funding naicepa.
smoke
May 18, 2014 at 8:51 pm
meant pull up your socks.
kakolwe
May 18, 2014 at 9:27 pm
@ smoke, its ok ifyofine ati ‘pull up his smoke’!! Kaili fyambafye bafumya!!
Mr guy
May 18, 2014 at 9:30 pm
Mr kabwili has started campaigns for presidency in 2016 since is very much aware that the incumbent president will step down,but sir that strategy whereby you start harassing investor mubepelefye bakamba.be careful very soon i mean very soon the president will be on you sir.
Mr guy
May 18, 2014 at 9:38 pm
I mean your fellow minister .
kasonda
May 18, 2014 at 9:58 pm
Kambwili for president 2016. Atase bane there is no quality leadership in pf. The owner of the party is constantly on bedrest. All the rats are on loose. Kabimba, mulenga sata, kambwili all vying for president. Kill each other.
Mabote Sililo
May 19, 2014 at 4:17 am
This buffoon is really lunatical now.
Ayatollah
May 19, 2014 at 11:39 am
So cabinet meets? Thanks for the info mune Kambwili.
kellings kangwa
May 19, 2014 at 11:59 am
I’really support chishimba kambwili because these investors the way they treat us Zambians it is horrible. plz soldier on mr. kambwili a lot of people are behind you.If you can be the president today, I can even join politics immediately.
James
May 19, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Where did Kambwili go to school, I thought he just graduated from a University based in Wusakile in Arts. He should know that in employment contracts failure disclose why you were dismissed by your previous employers is a dismisable offence or nullifies the appointment. He should not be showing it so openly that he is an empty tin.