The Zambian subsidiary of Africa’s largest cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement, has sued the country’s labour minister for libel and slander after he accused one of the company’s executive of attempting to bribe him.
Zambia’s Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda had during a tour of a $400 million cement plant currently developed by Dangote Industries Zambia (DIZ) said a Nigerian executive seconded to the company tried to bribe him at a hotel. The company however denied the bribery claims describing Shamenda’s allegations as “malicious misinformation”.
Dangote said in papers filed in court that the minister had created an impression that the company was exploiting Zambian workers and enticing government officials with bribes.
“The plaintiff has been brought into public scandal and its reputation has been injured,” Dangote said in a writ of summons dated Oct. 10.
The plant cement plant under construction is located in Ndola, 300 km (188 miles) north of the capital Lusaka with 400 workers that Reuters says should rise to 2,000 when production starts in November.
Credit : VENTURES AFRICA
