Own Correspondent|Dangote Cement has fired it’s Quality Manager after the company’s product failed the Zambia Compulsory Standard Agency tests.
Dangote is one of the major manufacturers of Cement in the country with a countrywide influence on the price of the commodity as it has outlets in all corners of the country despite the plant being based in Ndola.
An official within the Zambia Compulsory Standard Agency said that in Mid December 2019, Zambia Compulsory Standard Agency conducted some compressive strength tests for 2 and 7 days respectively but that the results for the two tests where what he called “zero”.
He explained that the results have led to the dismissal of Raavi Venkataswamy who was the Deputy Quality Manager.
“Zambia Compulsory Standard Agency as the institution charged with the responsibility of ensuring the public does not get substandard goods regularly carries out tests to ensure that goods on the market are of the recommended standard and in mid December we did our test on Dangote Cement.
“We did two tests and the results on 2 and 7 days of the quality of cement Dangote is producing is not up to standard. The results on the tests we did were zero. Usually the results at 2 days are 16/18mpa and at 7 days 28/32mpa that is for 42.5 type of cement. The manager was fired immediately.
“We were told to keep this as a secret so that Dangote can normalise the situation but I thought I could help somebody out there who is building.”
Meanwhile in a separate chat a source from Dangote explained that the cement company has started recalling some products suspected to be compromised.
The sources mentioned that two truck each of 600/bags were returned on Thursday because of quality issues.
He said there is wide spread panic within the company management fears that the company might lose the good reputation it has built with its clients which will lead to loss of business for the company.
The President/Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has become the 96th richest person in the world while retaining his status as Africa’s wealthiest man.
According to the latest ranking of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Dangote “became $4.3 billion richer in 2019 as his fortune continued to grow on the back of investments in cement, flour and sugar.”
Bloomberg, in the report, noted that the 62-year-old Nigerian businessman and Africa’s most prominent industrialist ended the decade with a net worth of $14.8 billion.
His conglomerate, Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), includes the biggest cement company on the African continent, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)-listed Dangote Cement Plc. “That’s one of four publicly traded companies under the Dangote umbrella that account for more than a fifth of the value of the Nigerian stock exchange,” the report stated.
According to Bloomberg, the year 2020 could be a significant one for the billionaire, who is close to completing one of the world’s largest oil refineries in Nigeria.
The Dangote Cement Plc, in a recent statement to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, said it has expressed its interest to take over PPC Zimbabwe to the PPC board. This communication is still at the preliminary stage”, the cement maker said.
In response PPC in a statement confirmed the approach by Dangote to buy PPC.
“The independent board of PPC is considering the indicative proposal and will make a further announcement in due course,” the South African company said.