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Prisoner Warder Has Made Me Lame
Dear advisor,
My name is David Lwakala a prisoner at Mkushi local prison. On April 10 2007
I was beaten and badly wounded by the prisoner warders over lotion. The
X-ray showed some internal fractures two of them on my legs. I am unable to
walk its now three months. I am seeking for assistance over my case and
requesting you to come so that you can interview me physically. I do not
know whether prisoners as well have rights because they are treated badly.
If they do have rights, then their rights are being violated by both society
and the government. Dear advisor, who is going to look after my children and
my wife as lame as I am now? Some officers at Mkushi police are aware about
my problem but they did not take any action. I am looking unto you for
assistance.
Yours faithfully,
David Lwakala
Dear Lwakala,
There are many complaints against prison warders assaulting prisoners. In
Ndola, a prisoner's eye was gorged by a prisoner wader who used a stick on a
defenseless prisoner.
In Kasama a prisoner's leg is about to be amputated after a defenseless
prisoner was severely and repeatedly kicked in the groin using boots.
Again in Mkushi, there you are with a complaint of sustaining a fractured
legs after being assaulted by a prisoner warder. The list is endless.
Prisoners are fellow human beings who were created in the image of God just
like any other person.
Some of the prisoners stole because of the unequal distribution of wealth
while some are educated and needed to be in employment but they could not
find any.
It is therefore not fair for prisoners to be punished twice by a prisoner
warder who impose inhuman penalties. Prison warders should if anything make
sure that the prisoners are treated like human being and given the dignity
they deserve.
As for prisoners, you should also be obedient by following the rules and
finish your sentence in good faith and go home as a reformed person. Do not
make the work of those prisoner warders difficulty. Save your sentence in
obedience to the prison rules. As for prisoners who have been injured at the
hands of the prison warders, report such cases to us and we shall make sure
that the law takes its course. We will see to it that you obtain justice for
the suffering you have gone through.
Your advisor.
Junior Workers Are Mistreated
Dear advisor,
I am hereby trying to find out from you a case concerning labour. Here at my
company in Kitwe, we work on a one year contract at junior level and two
years for senior level. For senior level people, they are paid gratuity
while at our level we are not. My main complaint is that we want to join the
Union but management says we are not entitled to join any Union. Now from
the legal point of view what powers does the management have to infringe on
our constitutional rights?. We are 450 workers and we would like to take
them to court as some of us have worked for 15 years without being put on
permanent jobs and we are from colleges in different disciplines. Please
help us are we being exploited. Our conditions of service never change.
Yours faithfully,
worried junior worker
Kitwe
Dear junior workers,
Kindly send us copies of your contract of service, your payslip or any other
information or document that can support your case.
You cannot work for 15 years without being put on permanent basis. There are
even some parastatals that are doing the same thing. The duty of labour
officials is to see to it that workers' rights are protected. We call for
the increase of labour offices in Kitwe to arrest the situation at Scaw so
that workers are employed and treated in accordance with the law. Employees
have a right to form a Union of their choice but as the facts are scanty, we
shall further advise when the information we have requested is availed to
us.
Your advisor.
Indians Mistreating Zambians In Chipata
Dear advisor,
I would like to thank you for the job regarding your advise in human rights
and assisting the needy with the Legal assistance. My problem is that I need
to know whether these Indians have the power or right to insult the blacks
who work for them. I have said so because I have observed for a long time
now that Indians abuse Zambians who work for them to the extent of making
the situation look like it is their country.
There are few Zambians who work for them who enjoy work. Many of them are
suffering because of the bad conditions that they work in. They work long
hours say from 6 to 22 hours especially live ins and when it comes to
salaries, they are paid very little such that they can not manage to provide
for their families.
Others work from 7 hours to 16.30 hours without lunch and gets their
salaries after three months. How are they supposed to survive? What I know
is that one can not insult the owner of the house and similarly, the Indians
should give respects to Zambians because they are the owners of the house.
One thing they should know is that the workers are not slaves because
slavery was long fought by our first President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. The other
complaint is that these Indians hold on to their money which they later
change to dollar and send it to their country to improve the economic of
their country. Please help me to solve this issue because it pains me a lot.
Yours faithfully,
Chipata resident.
Dear Katayi,
You raise important concerns which require government intervention . There
is a law that regulates conditions of service and also another one that sets
minimum wages and conditions of employment ( General Order) 2006. Under this
law, workers are supposed to work for forty eight hours and employees who
work more than the specified number of hours must be paid overtime. This law
also sets minimum wages for the employees. Despite the existence of this
law, many workers are subjected to longer working hours and as you correctly
observed , wages are meager. This situation is shameful to say the least. It
is hoped that government will put in place a serious regulatory framework to
ensure that employers abide by our labour laws. The labour officers provided
for in the employment Act have duties limited to ensuring observance of the
provisions of the Employment Act. We hope the government will look into this
problem.
Your truly,
Advisor
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