Employees Quarantined By Chinese Firm Released After 5 Months
Employees of the CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines who were quarantined for five months by the Chinese firm as a precaution against coronavirus have been released.
The workers were released on Sunday, following the intervention of Roan MP Joseph Chishala.
Two weeks ago Mr Chishala asked Vice President Inonge Wina whether the government was aware of the quarantined employees’ situation. Ms Wina said the government was not aware.
The workers had been detained in the mine complex since May to prevent them from contracting the coronavirus and infecting their Chinese superiors.
A government committee, including Mr Chishala, visited the mine on Saturday and ordered CNMC to immediately release its employees.
The delegation has promised to return to the mine on Monday to meet with management, however the Chinese operators have reportedly already left.
The wife of one of the quarantined miners thanked Mr Chishala for his intervention, saying “we can only thank God for what is doing through Honourable Joseph Chishala”.
“A lot of leaders has been telling us lies that they will make sure our husbands are released from quarantine, but it was all lies. We have been following the Honourable MP’s debate in parliament and he has always been pushing for this issue. Today we thank God it has come to pass,” she added.
Mr Chishala spoke to reporters following the inspection of the mine, urging government to place tighter regulations on foreign companies’ treatment of Zambian workers.
“We cannot have a situation were our own brothers are leaving in their own country like slaves this is unacceptable and should not be tolerated,” he said.
Mine workers freed from CNMC