ZIYANG Manufacturing Company Limited has come under fire after reports emerged that its employees were locked inside the factory and forced to use buckets as toilets before the company was shut down by the Lusaka City Council.
The company is believed to have kept workers confined within the premises for long hours without proper sanitation facilities, a situation described by authorities as degrading and a violation of basic human rights.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has since condemned the incident, and ordered the company to pay all its employees their full wages during the suspension period.
Ministry principal public relations officer Mwaka Ndawa said workers cannot be punished for the company’s failure to follow health and safety regulations.
The factory’s operations were halted on October 29, 2025 after health inspectors uncovered serious sanitation and safety breaches at the premises.
Ndawa said the management had only itself to blame for the shutdown and should not penalise workers for violations caused by its own negligence.
“The company’s suspension was a result of non-compliance with health and safety laws. Workers should not be punished for that,” Ndawa stated.
She said the ministry is working with the Lusaka City Council and the Ministry of Health to ensure that all safety standards are met before operations resume.
“Protecting property or enforcing discipline cannot justify inhumane treatment of staff,” she said.
Ndawa further assured affected employees that their welfare remains a priority and warned other companies against similar violations of labour and human rights.
By Sharon Zulu
Kalemba November 3, 2025
