{Zambia is headed for a serious diplomat spat with the Nigerian government after embattled Labour minister Fackson Shamenda ordered authorities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to suspend issuing visas to Nigerian nationals in a desperate bid to arm twist the Embassy into stopping a lawsuit filed against him by Dangote Industries Zambia (DIZ)}
Mr. Shamenda in another of his highly suspicious moves, allegedly under the instruction of Lusaka businessman Rajan Mathani, is plotting to make another raid on the $400 million dollar Ndola DIZ cement plant with immigration and police officials to further antagonize the firm into shutting down as they are deemed serious competitors to Mathani’s limping Zambezi Portland Cement (ZPC) plant.
ZPC has a capacity of only 450,000 metric tons per year compared to DIZ which when operational early in 2015 will hit 1,500 million metric tons per annum.
And Attorney General Musa Mwenye has reportedly refused to be drawn into the woes of his Cabinet counterpart clearly drawing the line on what he termed Mr. Shamenda’s neck deep legal battles and those pertaining his private altercations with private firms such as the one he is currently embroiled in.
The AG told sources that he was not employed to defend individual ministers over their personal battles but instead was there to advise the government, adding that he would not be drawn into such battles.
In the latest Shamenda diplomatic blunder which has infuriated the Nigerian government, which also intends to enforce reciprocal measures, the trouble prone labour minister who has been making headlines in the news, but all for the wrong reasons, has now influenced home affairs officials not to issue Visas to Nigerians until further notice.
According to highly placed sources in the ministry of Foreign Affairs, the latest foray comes in the wake of concerted efforts by Zambian Foreign affairs minister Harry Kalaba who has been chairing high level talks with Nigerian Embassy officials to broker a ceasefire between DIZ and Shamenda before the nation is further embarrassed by Mr. Shamenda’s rantings.
“The Zambian government is panicking with the Dangote- Shamenda matter hanging heavy in the air especially that Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo is expected to grace the official Golden Jubilee Independence celebrations, the matter was being taken care of except for the misbehavior of the Labour Minister”.
“Minister Kalaba was supposed to hold another meeting with Nigerian High Commissioner Sifawu Inu-Umoru Momo this week, but with the latest development, we have all been kept guessing”, the source said.
According to sources, Mr. Shamenda, using his cohorts in the ministry of Home Affairs blocked among many others, visiting relatives of the High Commissioner from entering Zambia because he wants the Nigerian government to influence DIZ into withdrawing the matter from the Zambian High Court.
The Labour minister last month (September) made glaring headlines when he insinuated that Nigerian businesses such as DIZ had a culture of bribing government officials and were very corrupt.
The allegations among other serious malicious and libelous statements caused DIZ to seek legal redress in the Zambian High Court.
DIZ, under the authorization of the government contracted specialized Chinese contractors Sinoma International and others to carry out the construction works for the highly automated plant.
Dangote in a formal agreement at the inception of the project assured the Zambian government that on completion of plant construction and handover, the number of foreign workers would reduce. It is these foreign workers that Mr. Shamenda is threatening to deport to delay the completion of the project.
Mr. Shamenda’s zeal to deal with DIZ has been questioned as to why he has not also taken it personal to check the permits of especially foreign road contractors raising speculation that he was influencing such action to settle scores over the legal suit.
Zambia Reports
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