The Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa has accepted to meet leaders from the National Union of Metal workers of South Africa (NUMSA).
The Union has requested the High Commissioner to grant it audience to present it’s memorandum of demands regarding the alleged deterioration of human rights in Zambia.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa His Excellency Mr Emmanuel Mwamba says he had accepted to meet the Union leaders following the Union’s formal request to meet him.
The Union has also made a formal application to the Police notifying that they planned to conduct a picket and present a memorandum of demands at the Zambian Mission in Pretoria.
Mr. Mwamba said the Mission would use the opportunity to engage with the Union leadership to understand their concerns and brief them about the happenings in Zambia in an informed manner.
In a letter to the mission signed by Christine Olivia, the Union has stated that they would stage a picket and present it’s memorandum of demands on Zambia on the 11th of July, 2017 at the Zambian Mission in Pretoria.
Mr Mwamba however, noted that NUMSA’s claims of deteriorating democracy in Zambia were not true as Zambia still remains a beacon of democracy in Africa.
He affirmed that Zambia was a growing democratic state with a good practice of entrenched democratic values and tenets
Mr Mwamba said the mission was ready to meet NUMSA officials in order to set the record straight as recent happenings in Zambia were a matter of rule of law
He noted that Zambia and South Africa together with their people enjoyed warm and cordial relationship that would not be disturbed by any matter including the forthcoming picketing.
He further said that the decision by the mission in Pretoria to accept to receive the memorandum of demands from NUMSA was not to accept it’s perceived claims on Zambia but a demonstration of respect for democracy and human rights.
Mrs. Naomi Nyawali
First Secretary Press and Public Relations.
Zambia’s High Commission to South Africa.
South Africa
Email kayulachulu@yahoo.com
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