Prosecutors in Lusaka have dropped the case against two Chinese supervisors who shot 13 coal miners last year during a wage protest. The episode occurred at the Chinese-owned Collum Coal Mine on 15th October 2010.

Although none of the shootings were fatal, the government did promise to vigorously investigate the incident, and prosecutors promptly arrested the two Chinese men involved and charged them with attempted murder.

However as with many other cases that point to a lack of independence of the judiciary in the country it soon became clear that a whitewash was in the offing.

Chinese investment in Zambia amounts to more than $1 billion a year, and President Banda has been a cheerleader for the Chinese, so it really ought not to be a surprise that the Chinese appear to operate above the law in the country.

Transparency International, the corruption watchdog issued a statement condemning the prosecution’s decision.

“Imagine a Zambian shooting a Chinese manager,” said Reuben L. Lifuka, the chapter president of Transparency International. “We are sure such a person would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Unless something is done and done quickly, the ordinary people will lose confidence in the judicial system.”

George Chisanga, the lawyer representing the two Chinese men said he received notification on Friday of the prosecution’s decision. By law, no reason needed to be given. Mr Chisanga then proceeded to make make the following utterance:

“The whole case is really about a clash of cultures, people from conflicting backgrounds who don’t understand how to deal with each other.”

If we understand these words correctly then shooting employees is accepted business practice for the Chinese and Zambians just need to understand Chinese culture a bit more.

The two chinese men speak very little English or Tonga, the two languages likely to be understood by their 800 employees.

The protest was organized by the Gemstone and Allied Workers Union of Zambia, involving hundreds of angry miners marching toward the locked gate of Shaft 3. The miners later said they had no intention of hurting anyone, but as the crowd butted up against the fence, the two managers fired their shotguns, in what the company called self-defense.