By Isaac Zulu
Information has emerged that scores of UPND cadres on the Copperbelt have gone on rampage conducting illegal mining activities at some portion of slag dumps belonging to Jubilee Metals of South Africa and Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), with Mines minister Paul Kabuswe and the UPND administration impotent to stop the illegal activities.
Sources say the two sites affected by illegal activities taking place are TD52 belonging to Jubilee Metals of South Africa and a Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) copper slag dump, situated in Kitwe.
Highly placed sources told Daily Revelation that some stakeholders have been pushing to have the illegal activities stopped and even reported [pp-logged-users] the matter to police, but their efforts have not yielded results.
Some of the illegal miners found mining at the two sites told Daily Revelation that they were given some portion of the two dump sites by the minister of Mines.
Sources said all efforts to remove illegal miners had proved futile as the Minister of Mines was backing their activities.
“We have been pushing with Zambia Police. But they said no, these guys have the blessing of the Minister of Mines Paul Kabuswe,” the sources said. “Even the district commissioner is aware. You can call him. The DC has also been told by Minister Kabuswe not to disturb those operations. Our understanding is that this has been done for appeasement purposes.”
Although the two dump sites where illegal mining activities are being conducted belong to Jubilee Metals and KCM, they both sit on the Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) surface area and the implication is that Mopani would still be liable if an accident occurred.
The sources further said even though the illegal miners are not mining in the Mopani area, they access the two slug dumps through Mopani’s restricted back route near Kalulushi.
“This problem of illegal mining has been going on for the last four months. It started just after the portion given to the cadres at the Wusakile Black Mountain was exhausted. Everyday tipper trucks used to commit these illegal activities are seen parked there and sometimes they even block the Kitwe-Kalulushi Road thereby, inconveniencing other motorists and road users,” the source said.
When contacted for a comment on assertions that the illegal mining had his approval, Kabuswe said he was not available for interviews as he was addressing a campaign meeting in Luapula.
“I am in Luapula Province busy with campaigns. I am not available for interviews,” said Kabuswe.
The Kitwe district commissioner Lawrence Mwanza was also contacted and he confirmed that there is a group of youths that have been allowed to pick some slag at a mine belonging to a private company, which is situated near Mopani Copper Mines.
He, however, said he is not aware of any illegal mining activities taking place at the KCM dump site in the area.
“What I know is that there is a private company operating in the CGC area near Mopani Copper Mines. And it is at that dump site belonging to a private company where some youths have been picking whatever they can pick. And out of the realisation that it is not a government property, I think the Minister of Mines had to negotiate for the youths so that they can pick from the dump site. And those youths do not belong to a particular political party,” Mwanza explained.
He also said some youths on the Copperbelt are unruly and are reportedly trespassing in Mopani Copper Mines mining area.
“You know these youths on the Copperbelt can be unruly at times.They want to take advantage of the situation and are now said to be trespassing in Mopani Copper Mines area. And I have received a complaint from Mopani Copper Mines, and I have told them to put that complaint in writing so that we can engage the Police,” said Mwanza.
Sources have told Daily Revelation that there are about 45 tracks operating from the dumpsite mostly coordinated by UPND officials in Kitwe district and a gentleman with strong connections with State House commonly referred to as CK, narrating that the first time the cadres invaded the private property without approval from the owner, they were admonished by Copperbelt Province minister Elisha Matambo against engaging in the illegal activities and stopped temporarily.
But after a brief pause they forced themselves on to the private dumpsite again, reportedly forcing Matambo to arrange for another meeting between the cadres and himself and Kabuswe, who told them that he was going to engage Jubilee Metals to see if they could be allocated some portion where they could conduct their activities.
Sources said Jubilee agreed to allocate about 35 percent of the land to the community, with themselves remaining with another 65 percent on condition that they secured their own surveyor to do the demarcations.
However, before they could secure the services of the surveyor, UPND cadres invaded the private property again and they have been conducting their activities there ever since.
Meanwhile, Copperbelt Province Police Commissioner Peacewell Mweemba said the Police Command in the region is not aware of some illegal mining activities taking place at a dump site in Kitwe.
Mweemba said he can only confirm this information after getting a report from his commanding officer.
“I am not aware about that. Let me tell the officer commanding to verify that information. That’s when I can confirm,” said Mweemba.
Efforts were made to get in touch with Jubilee Metals whose public relations department is based in South Africa but by press time, the query had not yet been responded to.
And the sources have said there was a huge fight involving rival UPND factions from CK and those based in Kalulushi and the latter demanded that they should be allocated more tracks because the dumpsite in question was located in Kalulushi where they are based.
“These fights usually breakout. These cadres are so unruly. They are almost out of control. But they have continued with their illegal fights after their fights,” sources said.
The sources said that while CK and UPND top officials in the district were behind coordinating the mining activities, a gentleman named Mumbi Debaba is the one who secured the market for them with Sino Metals of Chambeshi.[/pp-logged-users]
