New evidence in possession of the United Progressive People (UPP) unequivocally acquits the Minister of Labour, but finds State House wanting for the slavery of the outsourced and  casualised labour at Dangote Limited. This is also true for many companies that are abrogating labour laws in broad day light as if Zambia had no Government to enforce the law.

In our resolve to perform our duty of providing oversight over the government, we shudder to finally discover that the apparent failure by the Minister of Labour to execute labour law compliance audits is actually due to the corruption of State House, which has since 2015 been transformed into the centre for state capture through corrupt deals.

Our records reveal that whereas the Ministry of Labour is fully aware of the abuses of workers at Dangote and other companies, the Minister and public officers are unable to act because of interference from corrupt elements at State House.

Consequently, lawlessness has blossomed among corporations that have lined the pockets of the corrupt few at State House to obtain “immunity” from prosecution.

The amended Schedule Two of the Zambia Independence Act of 1964, Section 65 of the Laws of England, incorrectly referred to as the “Constitution of Zambia” grants workers the right to belong to the union of their choice, but the case for outsourced labour at Dangote shows that the workers have no right to belong to the union of their choice. This has culminated into colonial style ill treatment of Zambians, among other acts of fraud.

Worse enough, we note that the lowest paid among the imported nearly all Indian labour in key positions is around US$5, 000 (K50, 000) as the majority of Zambians get K1, 200 (US$120) gross per month. From this slave wage, our people must pay rentals, pay medical bills, pay school fees for children, buy food for their families and generally meet all their needs under the sun.

The industrial colour bar, or simply put, labour apartheid, is abhorrent and must be condemned by all Zambians.

As the future Government, God willing, we shall ensure that we advocate for equal pay for equal work in line with the UPP Alternative Labour Policies and the first ever Freedom Charter, which we have crafted as the basic outline of what the proclamation of independence was about. Our nationalism and pride are in jeopardy under the PF Regime.

We shall be directing our lawyers to commerce legal action by way of getting an order of Court to compel appropriate agencies of the state to not only forensically audit Dangote operations, but also enforce the spirit behind the letters of the law.

Under the UPP-led Government, cheap labour will not be one of the attractions for investments. We shall not entertain goat shepherds from other nations to come as fake expatriates to take up Zambianisable jobs.

God bless our nation!

Saviour Chishimba

UPP PRESIDENT

• #UPP: #Dignity & #Justice for #All!