The new Minister of mines has with immediate effect halted all mining activities by mostly undertaken by local small scale miners famously called Jerabo’s. The local mining activities halted are at the copper slug dump famously known as the ‘Black Mountain’ in Zambia’s second largest city of Kitwe.
Minister of Mines and Minerals Paul Kabuswe said as Government moves to bring sanity and clarity in the manner the copper slug dumpsites are operated, there should not be any mining activities happening at the sites especially the Black Mountain for now.
Speaking during media interaction which the Zambian Business Times – ZBT attended, Kabuswe said the government’s intention was to bring sanity and roll it out proper procedures to ensure that not only a few Zambians are benefiting, but to also ensure that the dumps are for everyone’s benefit.
He said this move was not to remove the youths operating on the black mountain but that Government will create a legal framework in which the youths and other small scale miners operate to encourage them to participate in small scale mining.
“For now, we need to bring sanity and order to the dumpsites, issues of the black mountain and all those things. There has to be sanity. We need to promote local and small scale mining and the black mountain falls in that category, so for now we need to sit down and bring sanity.
“There shouldn’t be any activities for now at the black mountain until we bring sanity and roll it out properly so that it benefits not only a few and I want to say this, can we please stop being selfish because there is wealth for everyone in this country,” Kabuswe said.
He said, “The new Government is talking about youths being involved in small scale mining, we are not going to remove the youths from the dumpsites but we are going to create a legal framework in which they operate so that we encourage them to participate in small scale mining.
Kabuswe noted that small scale mining is not just dumpsites but there are a number of other explored areas where the youths can participate.
He said, “The impediment mostly for Zambians was financing but if the mining value chain could be used through the big mines, suppliers on the on the Copperbelt, the value chain is worth about US$5 billion [annually], so if we get about 20% of that, that is a lot for the entire Copperbelt.
“That is a lot of capital that can be used by our youths to partner and run mines, so these are issues that we must run with as a country. We must think outside the box and begin to own this country, we must have Zambian billionaires in dollars and the mining sector can produce such, Kabuswe said.
The new mines minister further said that “for now, can we wait until we bring sanity and clarity on how these areas are going to operate. Kabuswe said government wants a proper legal framework to guide how the black mountain is operated on and how Zambians will benefit from that.
