LINTCO, Luangwa Bicycles ex-employees protest …petition for commission of inquiry
FORMER workers of United Bus Company of Zambia (UBZ), Luangwa Bicycle Industries and LINTCO in Eastern Province have joined calls for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the privatisation of state companies.
The workers have petitioned President Edgar Lungu to set up a Commission of inquiry so that the truth over the matter could be revealed.
The former workers marched from Shoprite to the Eastern Province Administration office to present their petition to provincial minister, Makebi Zulu .
One of the former LINTCO workers, Joshua Banda, said some of his colleagues had died because of the sufferings caused as a result of the flawed
privatisation.
He said the former workers were never paid their terminal benefits.
Mr Banda, who knelt before the minister, pleaded that the petition should reach the Head of State so that action could be taken.
In response, Mr Zulu assured the former workers that the petition would be delivered to President Lungu and praised them for presenting their petition in a peaceful manner.
In 2004, Luangwa Bicycle Industries stopped exporting bicycles due to high production costs, hence the firm started failing to penetrate the regional market.
Luangwa Industries, which was based in Chipata, produced about 10, 000 bicycles out of the projected 20, 000 bicycles for the 2004 financial year.
According to the Status Report on Privatisation of 270 State-Owned Enterprises, Lintco Chipata was sold on competitive tender basis Cotton of South Africa three million Rands.
Meanwwile, a consortium of political parties has said that desperate attempts by UPND to shift attention from the privatisation scandal would not work.
Consortium spokesperson, Spuki Mulemwa, said nothing would stop Zambians from seeking answers as to why a hotel worth US$26 million was sold for US$6 million.
Mr Mulemwa said in an interview that answers must be provided as to why individuals who were given the mandate to sell the public assets ended up being co-owners without declaring interest prior to the sale. to for