By Angela Moonga
President Hakainde Hichilema says Africa cannot continue exporting raw materials as the main business, as that symbolises lack of seriousness.
And President Hichilema said no Zambian citizen can claim that they are not benefiting from the mine taxes.
Addressing delegates during the 2026 Mining Indaba in South Africa on Monday, President Hichilema said there was no way Africa could continue exporting raw materials.
”Seriously, we can’t continue doing that. Surely, it means we are not serious about what we are doing. Absolutely! Surely, we must change the narrative. And that must happen together with the mining companies because it’s good for companies as well, so we can grow our economy. So we can create more jobs. So we can create more business opportunities. Simple! Straight!” President Hichilema said. “It doesn’t need extra intelligence to understand that Africa needs to grow, and for us to grow the mining sector sits at the centre of this, and value addition is a key component. We can do it across the continent.”
President Hichilema also touched on the gold deposits in the country, saying all of a sudden the country was sitting on the commodity.
He said now artisanal mining was becoming more of a problem, on account of unregulated mining and the security risk the same posed.
President Hichilema said mineral wealth must drive value addition when done properly.
He said that contractors must share in the mining benefits, as with the growth of the economy came an injection of stability in the operating environment.
President Hichilema said he did not want to look for the interests of businesses exclusively without looking out for the interests of the people through their government.
”We are one economy. We must work together to find each other … Citizens can take emotive behaviour if they believe business and government are not addressing their interests. Simple!” he said.
President Hichilema said the government’s reforms were anchored in stability and confidence building.
He said he took over office when there was loss of confidence all over, even in the mining sector, having also inherited a declining economy that was growing at -2.8 percent. He said the projected growth was now 6.8 percent.
President Hichilema said today the country was reaping benefits as the Konkola Copper Mines that was in the process of liquidation and expropriation was back in business. He said Mopani which was also in comatose had resurrected back to life again.
On debt restructuring, President Hichilema said his administration never shied away from the risk of being unpopular by getting on an IMF programme, stressing that the country passed all the six reviews in the 38-month programme.
He said the government now wanted a programme that would support value addition in the mines, as opposed to one that talked about fiscal consolidation and macroeconomic stability.
President Hichilema said the old format of investing in Africa just for profits was long gone as the relationship was now about partnership.
He said those in the opposition said that the mines were not paying taxes, yet the mines paid more into the treasury, with the single largest taxpayer being First Quantum Minerals (FQM).
President Hichilema said through that the government was able to support programmes such as free education that has raked in over 2.3 million school children who were out of school.
”Which citizens in Zambia will say they don’t benefit from the mining sector? There is none because they can see the benefits,” he said.
He said the government had revived shaft 28 in Luanshya on the Copperbelt, and people were now going back to the town they were once leaving.
President Hichilema said the government was conducting a high resolution geographical survey across the whole country as that would help business to be certain about the resource endowment.
