COPPERBELT ~ Ndola
By Prince CIC Private Reporter
NESAWU URGES PROBING ‘ETHNIC CLEANSING’ AT ZESCO DURING PF ~ Siankulu
THE PF was a brutal regime which made Zesco to be full of cadres, the National Energy Sector and Allied Workers Union has said.
Addressing the press briefing in Ndola yesterday, NESAWU acting general secretary Clark Siankulu said meritocracy should return to Zesco.
He urged government investigative wings to investigate the ethnic cleansing that was at Zesco instigated by the PF administration.
“NESAWU believed that getting rid of cadres should be extended to parastatal corporations such as Zesco Limited which has suffered abuse as a cash-cow for the previous governments. We believe that professionalism and meritocracy should return to Zesco to enable this strategic company fulfill its strategic role as a tool for national development. We believe that the restructuring of Zesco should not focus in outright privatisation which left Zambians bruised,” Siankulu said. “NESAWU believes that Zesco should remain a state owned company that should be able to operate professionally and efficiently to deliver quality service to customers. A successful strategic turn around for Zesco would require a board that is equal to the task and a management team appointed on merit in order to achieve its vision to be the hub for electricity trading in the region by 2025.”
He said Zesco failed to provide services to customers because of caderism.
“If cadres are removed from Zesco, then a lot of Zambians will benefit from Zesco. Political interference has been a major problem in the energy sector. Our members were fired or retired in national interest by the brutal regime of the PF. Because of the high levels of caderism that was tolerated by the previous regime we lost a lot of professionals in the sector,” Siankulu said. “The right to be heard was taken away. We could not speak out because of the brutal regime. The union was made toothless because of fear to lose jobs. The coming of the UPND in power has given relief to the unions. We could not even have a briefing like this one under the PF. It was brutality after brutality. Workers were fired without any any explanation. It was barbaric of a regime – the PF.”
He said more than 58 employees of Zesco were retired allegedly in national interest.
“To all the brothers and sisters that were dismissed unfairly when you come back please forgive all the agents that made you fired. Let us forget what was on us. Let us look for love and oneness. We appeal to the investigative wings to find interest and investigate the ethnic cleansing that was under the PF regime. We call for justice so that the perpetrators of these ethnic cleansing should be brought to book. We are urging the President to ride on the goodwill that the Zambian people have bestowed on him and the UPND to deliver wholesome restructuring of parastatal companies to attract investment, grow the economy and ensure a trickle down effect to the citizenry,” said Siankulu. “We commend the President for the stance he has taken to reinstate the workers who were unfairly retired in the purported national interest. This move is commendable and assures us as a union of our freedom of expression and freedom of association. 58 were dismissed as a result of the alleged restructuring and this only happened in Southern and Western provinces. People were retired in national interest which was a total abuse.”
CIC PRESS TEAM