The Emerald Production Watch of Zambia has called on the government to compel Kagem Mine to hand over the green emerald slug dumpsite to youths in Lufwanyama to ensure that the local community benefits from the mineral resources.
Speaking during an annual media interaction forum held in Kitwe over the weekend, Emeralds Production Watch of Zambia president, Musa Kafimbwa, charged that Kagem Mine owners should surrender the Emerald slug dumpsite or leave the country.
He said handing over the mining facility is the only meaningful way local youths are going to benefit from the emerald resources which he said are being externalized by foreigners who are running the mines.
Mr Kafimbwa noted that Zambia was one of the producers of high-quality emeralds in the world but the situation on the ground especially in Lufwanyama does not reflect the wealth that comes out of the emerald exports.
He said there is a need for the government to implore strategic approaches to gemstone mining for the country to fully benefit from the Zambian emeralds that are making headlines in the international media due to their size and high quality.
He noted that if well harnessed the emeralds from Lufwanyama alone can support the national budget for Zambia.
And Mr Kafimbwa has further called on the government to repossess all the dormant emerald mining licenses to pave way for investors with the capacity to operate mines.
He said the country was losing out by allowing people without the capacity to produce to continue holding on to licenses which they are not using.
He said if all the dormant mines become operational through capable investors, the government will be able to collect revenue through tax and more jobs will be created as local people especially youths will be employed.
He also noted that the mining area for Kagem mine was too vast and urged the government to consider reducing it so that other vibrant investors can operate the other parts to optimize the country’s revenue collection through tax.
Recently, Mines Minister, Richard Musukwa, announced that the government will repossess all dormant mines which are being helped for speculative reason.
Which PF youths?
Does it mean Zambian youth can only play the role of scavengers(jerabos) at mine dump sites , is he insinuating that Zambians can’t mines but can only wait for scraps from the high table? Is this the only business youths on the copperbelt can do out of all the numerous types of businesses in the world.
Employ the youths….not vaupuba
Just want to start stealing from there. Stay away and start your own mine!
We want jobs not ivi va ma slug dump please. I will create one million jobs, uchita monga ukamba na bana. 2021 OUT
That is how low we have sunk as a nation, we can only think of leftovers. These are our resources and we are ok with leftovers? If you give to youths, what criteria will you use to select those youths?
This is a scavenger mentality…chimbwi no plan! why not give youths capital, training and licenses or let the partner with foreign investors if you really mean well.
Turning youths into scavengers is a short term measure for political mileage only!!
Can we look beyond and election and have a vision for a prosperous youths and Zambia!!
if anything these jerabos should be decimated to zero. They are nothing but anarchy
English lesson 1/2020
SLAG DUMP NOT SLUG
If were a youth I would want to own my own business than thinking of some one employing me , youths need to be brave enough to own businesses really what are they afraid of .
I respect those call boys in the streets they are great thinkers who make money out of nothing they create there own jobs car wash businesses are every where and more created jobs by these boys they are more wiser than some of the degree holders who do nothing.
By “Youth” they mean PF cadres because it seems these are the only important “youths” in Zambia. What good has the black mountain brought to the general population of Kitwe? The so-called youths are uncivilized and uneducated such that the money they make from the dump-site is used on alcohol, prostitutes and guns, creating an environment of violence and debauchery!! The benefits are few and far between and what we see most is just unruliness in the city.
There is no way this should be done again as we all know the main beneficiaries of the emerald dump-site shall be, the corrupt ministers, PF officials and their unruly cadres. This nonsense has to come to an end, in 2021!!
Ba musa you’re feeble minded. You’re contradicting yourself. You want foreigners to take over the “idle mines” and yet you accuse them of externalizing profits. Shame on you for proposing that Zambian youths should focus on the slag dump residues. Foreigners are on the verge of grabbing all natural resources we ever owned. Zambians deserve better than encouraging foreign entities to come plunder our resources. Ask the minister of mines to encourage and facilitate partnerships with foreign entities instead of revoking any participation by the locals. Zambia belongs to Zambians. Change your skewed mindset. History will surely judge us harshly for disenfranchising the locals in favour of the ravenous foreign investors.
Another thieving jerabo looking for handouts and using threats to get them.
Ohh my! Zambia has gone to dogs. This Kafimbwa has brains drooling and if anything these jerabos should be eradicated. They are nothing but anarchy.
Ohh my! Zambia has gone to d0gs. This Kafimbwa has brains drooling and if anything these jerabos should be eradicated. They are nothing but anarchy.
Kafimbwa has brains drooling and if anything these jerabos should be eradicated. They are nothing but anarchy.
Kafimbwa has brains dr00ling and if anything these jerabos should be decimated to zero. They are nothing but anarchy.
What a stupid idea!!! Can’t someone with a brain do this properly by setting up a business so everyone benefits in an orderly manner including the government?
What sort of an organisation is this that advocates for cowboy business practices!