FORMER LIVINGSTONE ACTING TOWN CLERK IN COURT

By ANDREW MUKOMA THE Livingstone Magistrate Court has adjourned to October 4, 2017 for ruling the By KELVIN SIABANA THE United Mineworkers Union of Zambia (UMUZ) has commended Government for stopping Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) from outsourcing and seconding its employees to contractors.

UMUZ president Wisdom Ngwira said the system of outsourcing was practiced worldwide and was not a crime, but the manner in which KCM intends to outsource was questionable.

He said seconding employees to contractors whose conditions of service were poor and inferior was a matter of concern.

Mr Ngwira said unionised employees at KCM had the right to be represented and be heard.

He said KCM had made a unilateral decision to outsource and second workers even before a consensus was reached with the stakeholders.

He said the move by the mining company was unacceptable and a total violation of the labour laws.

Mr Ngwira said KCM should heed Government’s directive to stop the exercise until the matter was resolved by the parties involved.

He said if the issue of outsourcing was not carefully handled, it could lead to casualisation and job losses at KCM.

Mr Ngwira said UMUZ supports the government’s vision of job creation and security among Zambians for the betterment of the mining sector. matter in which former Livingstone Town Clerk Chabala Chanda and Fred Lutangu, a Livingstone resident are charged with one count of corrupt practices.

And the key witness in the case, Joseph Zulu, on Friday failed to tell the court as to whether the first accused’s signature was forged in order to implicate him on not.

This is in a matter in which Chanda and Lutangu are facing one count of making a false document without authority contrary to section 344(a) and 356(a) of the Penal Code of the Laws of Zambia.

The two Chanda, 41, of plot 16/A Makoma Road in Livingstone and Lutangu, 33, of house No. DNB, 11, Dambwa North, Livingstone, a businessman and an unlicensed estate agent who are jointly charged have pleaded not guilty to the charge.

When the matter came up for continued trail before Magistrate William Banda on Friday, the state witness Joseph Zulu, a former deputy director planning at the Livingstone City Council told the court that in the course of his duties, he came across an incidence where the second accused did sell a plot which he purported to have been given by the local authority to another person at a cost of K40, 000.

He told the court that despite the second accused having a letter offer from the council, the purported plot did not match with what was in the council minute book.

Mr. Zulu told the court that when a Mr. Dennis Mujulu who bought the plot went to the council to change ownership, he was told that the plot No. 2613/3705 in Dambwa North which he bought did not belong to the second accused but that of another person by the name of Frigo Kayula Himbala.

He told the court that a meeting was called to resolve the misunderstanding and a conclusion was arrived at where the second accused was asked to refund the money the effect to which he did.

During cross examination, the defence counsel led by Jonas Zimba asked the witness to tell the court whether the first accused’ signature has been forged before by some employees at the council and further tell the court whether the accused had any case in relation to the offer letter.

But the witness was at pains to answers the defence lawyer’s questions and only told the court that he did not know the offence the first accused was in court for.

The witness told the court that it was on record that Mr. Chanda’s signature as acting town clerk was once forged.

The matter has since been adjourned to October 4, 2017 for ruling whether the two have a case to answer or not.