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ZCCM-IH and Vedanta case: Govt rejects lengthy arbitration process

By SILUMESI MALUMO
GOVERNMENT has rejected a protected arbitration process between ZCCM-IH and Vedanta and the two parties have been asked to find ways to shorten the period, Mines Minister Richard Musukwa told parliament yesterday.

Mr Musukwa said the proposal by arbitrators to hold the arbitration hearing between ZCCM-IH and Vedanta until November 2021 had been rejected by the government.
He explained that the proposed period for the arbitration hearing was to start now until November 2021.
Mr Musukwa said Government had objected to that and ZCCM-IH and Vedanta Resources were now looking on ways to hold the arbitration process that would last for a short period.
He told Parliament in a ministerial statement yesterday, that the period for the hearing was too long, and it was important that the hearing was shortened.
On Friday last week the Court of Appeal ruled for the stay of the liquidation process until the dispute between ZCCM-IH and Vedanta was heard by the arbitrators.
This means that no further procedures can be taken in the High Court.
Mr Musukwa however said it was important that the arbitration process was held in the shortest possible time in the best interest of the workers and the public.
He said if the current proposed period for the hearing was accepted then the two parties were not interested to resolve the matter.
“You cannot resolve the matter in a longer period of time. When the parties are interested to resolve the matter they can only do it within a short period,” Mr Musukwa said.
Meanwhile, Mr Musukwa said ZCCM-IH had insisted its intention to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal.
The minister said the ZCCM-IH was not pleased with the decision by the Court of Appeal hence its decision to challenge it.

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