AMOS KAWISHA
Solwezi
RESIDENTS and licensed artisanal miners in Mufumbwe District have welcomed an order by the Zambia Army for illegal miners to vacate mining areas by next week, saying the move will restore order and promote orderly economic benefits in the sector.
Members of cooperatives that were trained and issued with artisanal mining licences to operate at Kikonge and Dengwe said the intervention will bring sanity to the mining areas and curb illicit activities that have disrupted legal operations.
Zambia Army has warned that failure by illegal miners to comply with the order will result in a forcible eviction, as part of efforts to curb lawlessness and insecurity linked to illegal mining activities.
Speaking in an interview, Caleb Likomeno, of Chiliko Cooperative, said the Army’s move was long overdue and that it will allow licensed cooperatives to operate in a conducive environment.
Mr Likomeno said the situation at Kikonge mining area had become untenable, with illegal miners occupying most of the land meant for licensed cooperatives.
“The coming in of the Zambia Army is most welcome and long overdue. We welcome the pronouncement to remove illegal miners by force because cooperatives have not been allocated land due to the presence of illegal miners,” he said.
He warned that if left unchecked, illegal miners’ behaviour has the potential to breed serious conflict and insecurity in the district.
Mr Likomeno said residents have been living in fear due to the conduct and attitude of illegal miners, adding that their removal will help restore peace and order.
Another miner, Gospel Mbumba, said licensed cooperatives had been waiting to be allocated land and that the removal of illegal miners will enable them to benefit from their licences.
She said illegal miners had previously been encouraged to form cooperatives in order to legalise their operations but most of them had failed to comply with government directives.
“The move to remove them by force is welcome because many of them have failed to follow government guidance to legalise their gold mining activities,” she said.
Zambia Army Commander Lieutenant General Geoffrey Zyeele said the Army has a constitutional mandate to safeguard national security and curb illegal activities that threaten peace and stability.
Zambia has recently witnessed a gold rush in various parts of the country, with illegal miners descending on forests in search of the precious mineral…https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
