Lusaka (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Twelve people, among them miners, were arrested by police
in Zambia
for the killing the Chinese manager
in charge of the coal mine where they worked. The manager was known for harsh treatment of miners and delaying the payment of their salaries.
Police said that among the twelve people arrested were also people of the
local village who joined the
miners to "see justice
done".
Shengzai Wu, 50, died after he
was hit by a truck as he tried to escape through a tunnel. The accident occurred at Sinazongwe, 325 km from
Lusaka.
The suspects that drove the truck fled
and are not among those arrested.
The miners had decided
to show why the manager gave them a wage lower than
the minimum established by law
(220 USD).
The Collum mine,
owned by China,
is famous for similar episodes of tension.
In 2010, two managers
were charged with having fired at a group of miners who - even then
- were protesting for higher wages. Later the
charges were withdrawn, even if
eleven miners were wounded.
Copper and coal mines are among the
main industries in
Zambia.
China has invested more than 400 million U.S. dollars in this field. But its
treatment of the locals is always
a source of tension with the
population.