- Partnership marks significant step towards transforming sector
NKOMBO KACHEMBA
Lusaka
Lusaka ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc (ZCCM-IH) and PlanetGOLD Zambia Project have signed a gold trading deal.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), ZCCM-IH will serve as a key off-taker of gold produced from mercury-free processing sites, offering fair pricing and ensuring traceability in the gold supply chain.
Speaking during the signing ceremony yesterday, ZCCMIH chief executive officer Kakenenwa Muyangwa said the partnership marks a significant step towards transforming Zambia’s gold sector into a responsible and inclusive industry.
Mr Muyangwa said the collaboration will help bring artisanal miners into the formal economy, ensuring they benefit from their work while reducing environmental and health risks associated with mercury use.
“For too long, our artisanal and small-scale miners have operated in the shadows of the formal economy. This partnership is about changing that narrative by creating a system that is transparent, traceable and beneficial to the miners,” he said.
Mr Muyangwa explained that the agreement aligns with the Government’s gold mandate given to ZCCM-IH, which includes formalising artisanal miners, providing a reliable market for gold to curb smuggling, and developing mineral assets for national wealth creation.
PlanetGOLD Zambia national project manager Abigail Mwailenge described the agreement as a milestone in efforts to strengthen and formalise the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector.
Ms Mwailenge said the project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme, has been working to organise artisanal miners into structured groups and facilitate access to formal markets…https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
