Twelve Zambians arrested for killing Chinese

  1. Posted on Wednesday 8 August 2012 - 09:50
    Mabvuto Phiri
    Image of Mabvuto Phiri
    Mabvuto Phiri, AfricaNews reporter in Lusaka, Zambia
    Eight Zambian miners have been arrested in connection with the killing of a Chinese manager by pushing a mine trolley at him during a riot at a coal mine in the south of the country. Four others arrested are villagers from the surrounding communities.
    zambia map
    The eight miners have since been charged with murder of their Chinese manager while the quartet faces a charge of robbery after they were found in possession of stolen property.

    Southern Province Deputy Police Commissioner, Fred Mutondo has confirmed the development in a telephone interview.

    The protesting workers killed their supervisor and injured his colleague in a riot over wages at a mine known for tensions with the Chinese investors.

    In 2010 two Chinese Collum mine managers were charged with attempted murder after they allegedly opened fire on a group of protesting miners.

    Eleven Zambian workers were injured in the incident and the mine has since been a source of controversy between Chinese investors and Zambians.

    In last Saturday’s incident, the workers were on strike at the mine in protest against delays in implementing a new minimum wage at the Chinese-owned Collum coal mine in Sinazongwe, 325km (200 miles) south of the capital, Lusaka.

    They were angry their wages were lower than a new minimum of $220 (£140) a month paid to shop workers.

    A 2011 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that, despite improvements in recent years, safety and labour conditions at Chinese mines were worse than at other foreign-owned mines.

    Zambia’s current President Michael Sata has lacked consistency on Chinese investment in the copper dominated Southern African nation following a u-turn on his pre-election anti-china stance.

    The Chinese embassy in Lusaka has not made any public comments so far.

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