AFRICA: ZAMBIA: Cement boss Ventrigilia ‘deported’

ONE of the directors at Zambezi Portland Cement (ZPC) in Ndola Daniel Ventrigilia was yesterday reportedly deported by the immigration department for being “a danger to the peace of the country”.

Immigration officials who preferred to remain anonymous confirmed the deportation of Daniel, who was operations director at ZPC in Ndola yesterday.

Daniel, who was deported around 13:00 hours, is the son of ZPC proprietor Antonio Ventrigilia.

“We picked him up from his house this morning [yesterday]and deported him at 13:00 hours aboard a South African plane at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport,” the source said.

The source said the deportation of Daniel shocked many workers at the cement plant. His father is reportedly out of the country but his two brothers and his mother are within Zambia.

Minister of Home Affairs Edgar Lungu declined to give details saying: “I have heard a report through media queries but I have nothing solid to say on whether he has been deported or he has been asked to put his work permit in order. If you contact me tomorrow, I will be in a position to give you the correct story.” 

A bitter share dispute engulfed the cement company for a large part of 2009 until 2011 between the Ventrigilias and billionaire businessman and philanthropist Dr Rajan Mahtani who is supposed to have provided the cash for expanding the company.

And work came to a standstill at ZPC when word went round that Daniel had been deported. The company suspended operations immediately.

A check at the plant yesterday by a Daily Mail crew found trucks being driven out of the cement plant. Workers were also found outside the plant waiting to be addressed by management.

“They just told us to park outside the plant and we are shocked because they have not explained anything. As you can see, we are all going to park outside,” a truck driver said.

And a worker at the cement plant said the employees were told to stop working by one of the operations managers.

The worker said no explanation was given by management as to why workers were being instructed to abandon work and go outside the plant.

“One of the operations managers just came and instructed us to stop working and go outside…. we all obeyed and we heard later that Daniel had been deported by the immigration department,” the worker said.