LEAVE BLACK MOUNTAIN FOR THE YOUTH, DON’T GRAB IT FROM THEM, RAINBOW PLEADS WITH UPND GOVT
Lusaka ~ Wed, 29 Sept, 2021
By Brightwell Chabusha
The opposition Rainbow Party has called on government to give back the slug dump on the Copperbelt commonly known as the black mountain to the youths.
Party National Spokesperson Humphrey Kabwe accused President Hakainde Hichilema of abandoning the youths who gave him the majority votes in the August 12 elections.
Mr Kabwe said it will be unfortunately if the UPND grabs the black mountain from the small scale miners.
“As Rainbow party, we are surprised to see President Hichilema’s government grabbing the black mountain and other slug dumps from the small scale miners on the Copperbelt. It is so sad that President Hichilema has abandoned the young people who made him go to State house,” he said.
“The slug dumps were given to the youths for them to earn a living but today government has found pleasure in taking away the livelihood of young people without giving them an alternative source of income.”
He said a lot of small scale miners have lived their lives from the slug dumps.
Kabwe said the Government should immediately hand back the sites before they start breaking into people’s homes.
He however called on MP’s on the Copperbelt to help resolve this matter.
“These small scale miners have been earning their living and supporting their families from these dumps. Depriving them of this source of income will subject them to more poverty, a situation which may lead to increase in crime in the province,” he said.
“Rainbow party believes that local resources should benefit the local people thus the need to have the locals involved in small scale mining. As a party, we fully support the small scale miners commonly known jerabos thus we appeal to them to remain united and peacefully approach govt over this matter. We call upon all the MP’s on the Copperbelt to help resolve this matter.”
But Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe said Government has only temporary suspended operations to bring order and sanity.
“There was a lot of political interference in the operations of the black mountain. Let me make it clear and please help me deliver this news. We have not grabbed any black mountain, but only, mark this, only suspended operations so that we bring order and sanity,” he said.
“There was a lot of mis-order and to bring order, the best is to suspend the operations. We have told them (small scale miners) to form cooperatives. After they form….I have since engaged the mines safety department to ensure that there is safety in operations. Mopani (Copper Mines) through its safety department has been engaged to ensure that they train them on safety measures. We want is to bring order and sanity.”
