Wake up, Govt told
GOVERNMENT must wake up and realise that Zambians are losing jobs to foreigners who come into this country as expatriates and investors but end up working as cashiers and security guards, the Radical Revolution Party (RRP) has demanded.
RRP president Vincent Chaile said while countries like Botswana understood what it meant to preserve jobs for locals, the case was different in Zambia as Chinese nationals had literally taken over jobs that were a preserve for Zambians.
Mr. Chaile said Botswana had tough labour laws and security which were well-implemented as the country never compromised when it came to matters to do with labour unlike the current situation in Zambia where foreigners and locals were fighting for job opportunities such as that of cashiers in shops.
He said because Tswanas believed in themselves, they got most of the work done by themselves and that it was no surprise that they even polished their own diamonds for themselves unlike exporting the mineral in its raw form.
“I passed through in one of the Chinese shop in Botswana and can confirm that the Tswanas have pride and they know what they want in life. In the entire Chinese shop, I only saw the Tswanas working. The shop manager was a Tswana lady and no Chinese was spotted nearby. These guys have tough labour laws and social security and they don’t compromise when it comes to such matters.
“No wonder they process their own diamond. They are small in population but they do believe in themselves. But one would wonder if Zambia has labour laws to protect jobs for their own citizens. It is surprising that the Chinese in our country are doing jobs that even grade seven pupils can easily do,” Mr. Chaile said.
He asked the Ministry of Labour to enforce labour laws that the country has and try and save jobs meant for the locals unlike entertaining people who come as expatriates and investors to wrestle jobs meant for Zambians.
“Surely where is the Labour Minister in this country? When you visit a Chinese shop at malls, Chinese are working as cashiers and security guards with without shame,” he said.