A Zambian news organization is reporting that 11 miners were shot and wounded while complaining to Chinese management about working conditions, though few other details are available:
Eleven miners including one onlooker have been shot and serious wounded by Chinese nationals at the Collum Coal Mine in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province.
Sinazongwe District Commissioner (DC) Oliver Pelete confirmed the development to ZANIS today that the 11 people were shot while they were presenting their grievances of poor working conditions to Chinese Management at shaft A.
Mr Pelete has since informed the police to arrest the Chinese nationals involved in the shooting of the miners and to investigate the motive of their shooting.
“At the moment I have no exact information of what led to the shooting of the miners. The investigating wings should carry out their investigations first,” Mr Pelete said.
Reuters reports that police are investigating the incident:
Sinazongwe district commissioner Oliver Pelete told Reuters that police had recorded statements from the two managers at Chinese-owned Collum Mine Ltd., about 325 km (200 miles) south of Lusaka, in connection with Friday’s shooting.
“The police have opened a case record and are now awaiting the advice of the director of public prosecutions on whether to proceed with the case,” Pelete said.
Police said on Friday they were investigating whether people associated with the Chinese owners may have opened fire on the protesting miners when they confronted management.
Pelete said two of the miners with serious bullet wounds had been transferred to a bigger hospital in Lusaka for surgery. The other nine were out of danger.
