In a crackdown on illegal mining activities, the Mansa District Police have apprehended 20 individuals and impounded several motor vehicles and motorcycles suspected to be involved in the illicit extraction of Sugilite, a valuable mineral.
The arrests were carried out on the Chembe-Mansa road between the hours of 17:00 and 22:00, as the suspects were accompanying a tipper truck loaded with approximately 60 tonnes of material believed to be Sugilite.
Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga confirmed the arrests and provided further details regarding the operation. Among the detained individuals are several motorcycle riders who were escorting the tipper truck, allegedly transporting Sugilite that was illegally mined in the Butete area.
Hamoonga reported that the police operation successfully impounded various vehicles and equipment, including the tipper truck loaded with suspected Sugilite mineral ore, a Toyota Hilux motor vehicle, six motorcycles, a low bed loader truck, and an excavator. These confiscated items have been secured at the Luapula Division Police Headquarters in Mansa.
The police action unfolded when law enforcement authorities intercepted the convoy of vehicles and motorcycles along the Chembe-Mansa road. It was during this interception that the occupants of the Toyota Hilux managed to escape, leaving the vehicle behind.
Among those currently in police custody are the owner of the Howo Low Bed truck, the truck’s driver, the owner of the excavator, and the excavator machine operator identified as Matthew Miti. Additionally, 16 motorcycle riders and their passengers have also been detained in connection with the illegal Sugilite mining operation.
The Mansa District Police have intensified their efforts to combat illegal mining activities, sending a strong message that such practices will not be tolerated. Investigations are ongoing, and further legal action is anticipated as authorities work to curtail illegal mining operations and protect valuable mineral resources in the region.
If these miners are Zambian then give them mining licenses because it’s their birth right to benefit from their god given resources. GRZ prefers to eat with foreigners rather than empowering their own people. Why can’t our government setup a mine owned by the state so that our people can benefit? Please stop using the police for your own selfish reasons. If you want to arrest illegal miners, go after the ones who are refusing to pay tax or royalties to government.
There’s just confusion.
HH has continued giving tax free to his white miners. Who is an illegal miner here? The one HH says so.
The uncle tom president hh would rather have his colonial masters exploiting our resources than indigenous Zambians. This is the type of president you have. A very unpatriotic failure
The BIG LADY and her husband are involved.
They can’t give Zambians Mining Licenses…they have to please their sponsors/funders at the expense of Zambians…politicians are wicked….ZAMBIAN MINERS ARE CALLED ILEGAL AND YET FOREIGNERS LOOTING OUR RESOURCES ARE CALLED INVESTORS
These people are being forced into illegal mining as the UPND govt suspended the issuance of mining licenses. I wonder how this govt expect these entrepreneurs to survive when they have almost shutdown the mining activities involving these small EMSs. This govt needs to be realistic and flexible. People have been applying for the licenses but they are adamant to give mining certificates forcing the people to do it illegally.
Can the Ministry of Mining provide data of how many mining licenses have been given to Zambian owned firms? Of these, what is their performance? What factors led to failure of publicly owned mines in Zambia in previous administrations? What evidence is there that giving mining licences to Zambian firms will result in foreign currency remaining in Zambia? To whom will the Zambian owned mines be selling the minerals they will mine? Which Zambian firms have capacity to add value to the minerals they will mine? I dont have answers to these questions but I think we need to address these issues and challenges so that we contribute to solutions where Zambia will get the best benefits from mining and adding value to its minerals.
The trick is to frustrate you so that you have no option but to hand over mines to them. They control the metal markets and all they will do is to stop buying your product thus forcing the prices to go down and cause a glut. They did it to KK. Niger may look like an extreme case but I am sure it’s out of frustration.
What solution for now do you Deja Vu suggest in order for us to control the metal markets? I think one possible solution is to obtain technology and skills to add value to our minerals so that they start buying EV batteries for example from us. We will not move into the value chains without producing what has market value at the international and regional levels. We need strategies that will ensure the international market keeps buying the products and by-products from our natural resources. To do this, we have to work with the same people who currently control metal markets as they are part of the market we want to access. Sad but it is a case of if you cant beat them, join them!! We cant continue complaining without a tangible solution!!
#Ngoma… solution? How did the Gulf state get hold of their oil to the maximum while Nigeria, Gabon, Angola etc have not benefited from the same commodity? That’s the solution… hold onto your resources until the customer gives a favorable offer… not panicking each time the Muzungu coughs.
Deja Vu, the Gulf States have the capacity to extract their own oil and to reduce production of oil to influence the price of oil on the international market through OPEC arrangements. This is not the case with Zambia when it comes to extraction of its minerals and then holding the minerals to influence the international market. You need to do more research how the Gulf states managed to reach a state where they can hold to their oil resources until the international market gives then a favourable offer. We are dealing with international commodity market forces and not Muzungu coughing. As you noted, when Gulf states are able to influence the supply and demand of their oil on the international market, they dont have to panicky !