…says Govt to blame on illegal mining
Democratic Union president, Ackim Antony Njobvu says government should be blamed for illegal mining activities in the country, saying President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration has failed to address concerns in the mining sector.
And Njobvu says Zambia army commander cannot entirely be blamed over his “extermination” statement on illegal mining, adding that government as a whole should be held accountable.
Controversy has surrounded Zambia’s Army Commander, Lieutenant General Geoffrey Zyeele who sparked outrage when he used the word “exterminate” to describe the government’s approach to dealing with illegal miners in Mufumbwe.
Defence Minister, Ambrose Lufuma later on clarified that Zyeele misused the term and that the intention was to remove illegal miners, not harm them.
But some members of opposition and some civil society groups have called for Zyeele’s dismissal, saying his statement was unacceptable and tarnishes the Zambia Army’s reputation.
Meanwhile, opposition DU, leader Ackim Antony Njobvu says, instead of issuing threats like army commander did, focus should be on addressing illegal mining activities with permanent solutions.
“Though the intention by the army might be good, my worry is that Zambians will continue suffering as we are likely to see foreigners being engaged to conduct mining activities in those areas at the expense of local people,” Njobvu said.
“Zambians have the capacity to run these mines and get the benefits, so I really fail to understand government’ appetite for wanting foreigners steal our resources while our people remaining suffering,” he said.
Njobvu recalled that President Hichilema’s disruption of his Chiwempala rally in Chingola last year was as a result of government’s failure to address a mining misunderstanding between government and the community.
Meanwhile, Njobvu has once again called for local participation in the mining industry, arguing that Zambians should benefit more from their natural resources.
He has recently criticized the government for giving away copper and undermining economic liberation through tax incentives and export policies.
Njobvu says there is need to encourage Zambians to invest in the mining sector to ensure resources remain in the country.
“Instead of threatening to exterminate, we need to find ways of supporting small-scale miners and advocating for their formalization and access to better resources and markets,” he said, further warning against foreign control and influence in the mining sector.
Francis Chipalo
