Southern Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa has refuted claims indicating that there has been illegal Mining of lithium in Mapatizya District despite the Government encouraging people to form cooperatives.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Mweetwa explained that lithium product had been mined for a very long time in Mapatizya and disposed of as just some substance not until there was a Discovery that the product was a mineral called.
They have to understand also that the geo composition of lithium is not a standalone mineral so you find that some people may have licenses to mine other minerals and in the process they end up with lithium.
“What I know is that the government encouraged local people and all Zambians intending to get involved in the mining of lithium and other minerals to form up cooperatives and apply for artisanal licenses so that they can mine legally and then there should be some arrangement for some off-takers that is the program which is in the progress and I know that the majority of all those who were involved in lithium mining have applied for licenses and as far as my office is concerned there is no mining whether there is no mining of this mineral presently taking place in Mapatizya.” Remarked Mweetwa.
Mweetwa said only after the discovery of the mineral did people begin to dig back into the areas where they were disposing of the product.
Asked if the Government has so far issued any lithium mining license in the District, Mweetwa said, “You have Kariba Minerals which is mining in the Mapatizya district and then for other minerals, I have to check with the minister of mines because they’re the ones who keep the custody of which companies they have given licenses to mine.”
Questioned if the government has also taken time to ascertain the content of lithium in the District, the southern Province Minister said, “That is information you can get from the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.”
Efforts to however get a comment from the Mines Ministry on the measures that have so far been put in place to ensure there are legal operations and the extent of the mineral in the province proved futile by press time.
Lithium has become an essential element in economic development due to its critical role in the production of lithium-ion batteries.
These batteries have become increasingly popular in various industries, including electric vehicles, mobile phones, and renewable energy storage systems, driving up demand for lithium.
As the world continues to shift towards clean energy solutions, the importance of lithium in economic growth is only expected to increase.
