Zambia Chamber of Mines media statement on SADC drivers transporting minerals
Chamber of Mines Chief Executive Officer, Sokwani Chilembo
Issued by Zambia Chamber of Mines
Thursday 9th November, 2023 Media Statement
Zambia Chamber of Mines responds to protest by truck drivers in the Democratic Republic of Congo over risk allowance for movement of mineral loads
Viral social media misinformation of SADC country drivers fuelling industrial unrest in transportation of goods for the mining sector.
It has been brought to the attention of the Chamber of Mines membership by the Truckers Association of Zambia (TAZ) that there have been misinformed claims on regional social media wrongly alleging that mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been paying a risk allowance of 500 to 700 United States Dollars (US$500-US$700) per load to Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) based trucking companies. It has further been alleged in these viral social media messages that these fictitious amounts are therefore due to the drivers working for all the companies’ moving goods for the mines.
The Zambia Chamber of Mines stands by the Trucker’s Association of Zambia press release issued on the 8th of November 2023 and clarify that no transporter moving for its member mines who constitute the bulk of Zambian production is receiving any risk allowance per load for any mineral loads in the SADC region.
Chamber of Mines Chief Executive Officer, Sokwani Chilembo said the social media posts and incitement to mass action claims for these amounts for any load to any destination within SADC are false and all working in service of the mining industry must treat these messages as what they are- fake news that must be ignored.
“All queries and clarifications of terms must be communicated through the contracted companies who are members of the Truckers Association in adherence to the laws of the Republic of Zambia which clearly guide the terms of engagement of drivers. It must be stated that Zambian law does not include any such risk allowance provisions for drivers and that any mass action based on this untruth will be illegal.” Mr Chilembo added.
The Chamber of Mines repeats the Trucker’s Association’s appeal for calm in the transport industry in Zambia as the mining sector is just beginning to show signs of recovery, can ill afford work stoppages. The year 2023 has been too difficult a year in production terms to risk the permanent damage that any ill-informed and illegal industrial stoppages will lead to.
It is the sincere hope of the Zambian mining sector that all its transporters and their driver teams will ignore calls to spread unnecessary disruption and continue to work without incident in the national interest.
