The worst facet of Chinese colonial empire has been on display in Zambia. It has given a go-by to the long taught Communist theories about workers and their welfare as the bedrock of industry and the society. Workers up in arms are silenced by the barrel of the gun.
Zambian police is investigating shooting of workers at a Chinese-run coal mine in the south of the country, in which at least 11 miners were wounded.
According to delayed reports, Chinese mangers at the mine opened fire (Oct 15) on the workers because they felt threatened by miners, who protested about their working conditions. The injured Zambian miners are being treated in a hospital in Sinazongwe. The management of the coal mine has so far made no public comment about the incident.
This is not the first time that such a shooting incident happened at the mining sites leased out to Chinese companies. Opposition politicians in Zambia have time and again stated that Chinese mining firms have created “slave labour” conditions in the country.
Earlier this year (2010) more than 50 Zambian workers were arrested and released for alleged sabotage of a Chinese-owned mine over a wage dispute.
In 2005, about 50 Zambians died in an explosives accident at the Chambishi copper mine, run by State-owned China non-ferrous metals industry. In later pay protests, five Zambians were shot by Chinese managers.
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