By AARON CHIYANZO
MINISTRY of Labour officers yesterday bounced when they went to look for the Chinese national and his employee, who was spotted in Lusaka being wheeled on a goods trolley at Carousel Shops by the Zambian worker.
The officers found the shop closed.
Government officers have been looking for Lao Yan to ascertain what really transpired since Saturday.
Inside sources said the employee, John Zulu switched off his phone after ministry officials contacted him to get his address and that of his boss, Mr Yan.
The source said the labour officers were now looking for their residences.
“We need to review his contracts, see terms and conditions etc… the employee cannot advise us to leave his boss alone,” the source said.
Ministry of Labour Permanent Secretary, Chanda Kaziya, earlier warned that Mr Yan may be deported if found wanting.
Mr Zulu, aged 28, the employee of Kaili Investment, who was pulling the trolley, however said Mr Yan had told him to help because of a painful leg, which he feared could worsen if he walked around.
Mr Zulu said Mr Yan, 62, was in fact not the proprietor of the company, but was just an ordinary person.
He said it was sad that his boss, Mr Cheng Kechao was being mistaken to be the one in the video and was being threatened with deportation.
When labour officers went to the shopping centre yesterday to investigate the matter, they found Mr Kechao’s shop closed.
The officers have been looking for the Chinese since Saturday.
Mr Kaziya had announced that his ministry through the Labour Commissioner had instituted investigations into the matter and that once the employer was found wanting, he would be deported without delay.
He warned that Government would deal sternly with foreign employers abusing Zambian workers because of limited job opportunities.
Mr. Kazhiya said the ministry would not tolerate abusive employers.
Meanwhile, Lamasat, the owners of Carousel where the incident happened, have offered Mr Zulu a job at the premises’ management office.
This was announced by Lamasat Carousel Manager present at the scene, Mohammed Hasad, when Lusaka mayor Miles Sampa visited the mall.
Mr Sampa disclosed that Mr Hasad indicated to possibly terminate the tenancy agreement with the tenant that exhibited racial abuse towards his black employee.
But when Mr Zulu was asked by journalists if he had been coerced to defend the Chinese, he said people would always make inaccurate conclusions when there was such a storm and insisted that the whole incident had been taken out of context.
He said Mr Lao’s blood pressure had shot up after the video went viral and he was at home managing his condition.
