Dangote cement Zambian subsidiary has taken to court a country’s labour minister for libel and slander on a company’s executive. The minister had said that the executive was attempting to bribe him.
The allegations of the executive of a company that is a major employer in Africa were made by the minister on September this year.
According to Dangote cement Company, the minister made allegations implicating the company of exploiting Zambian workers and enticing government officials with bribes. This was according to papers filed in court by the company.
“The plaintiff has been brought into public scandal and its reputation has been injured,” Dangote cement said in summons dated October 10.
Southern African government has been applying some control on foreign investors it believes were going against labour laws, and this is not the first company affected. CE of Konkola Copper Mines has had its work permit revoked by the government for planning to lay off 1500 workers.
Currently Dangote cement has more than 400workers building up the new a US$400-million cement plant in the country. The number of a staff is expected to rise to 2 000 when production starts in November.
According to the company, these allegations were “malicious misinformation.”
