‘BLACK MOUNTAIN OPS DISTURBING US’
RESIDENTS of Nkana West residential area in Kitwe say the current operations conducted by Jerabos at the black mountain are disturbing the peace of the people in the area.
The residents said the mining activities done by the Jerabos who are now calling themselves as Small scale miners have gone out of control because they were not operating within their jurisdiction.
The residents said t government had done well to give the Jerabos ten percent stake in the black mountain to get copper slugs the Jerabos were not doing the job according to tho their agreement.
Speaking on behalf of the residents Judith Ngulube said that it seemed that the Jerabos had taken the law into their own hands by doing things that they did not agree on with the government when they were given the rights to operate at the famous black mountain in Kitwe.
Ms Ngulube said that the government through Ministry of Mines should think twice about allowing the Jerabos to continue operating at the black mountain because they were causing a public nuisance.
She told the Daily Nation in an interview that the Jerabos were doing things against the laws of the nation.
Ms Ngulube said the Jerabos were not experts in the mining industry and for them to be operating at the black mountain they would need help.
She said that a lot of illegal activities were going on at the black mountain because vendors have invaded the area selling different kinds of goods ranging from food stuffs to cane spirits commonly known as 'Junta' and other psychotropic substances such as marijuana.
"The levels of drinking and drug abuse at the black mountain has reached alarming levels because the Jerabos are just drinking and smoking anyhow hence there is need for the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to do their investigations to curb the vice," Ms Ngulube said.
Ms Ngulube said that something needs to be done because if people wants to answer the call of nature where do they go because there are no disposal toilet facilities and running water at the black mountain.
She said that what was happening at the black mountain was a total nuisance because there was no order as people were doing their different businesses without following the laws of the land.
Ms Ngulube said that if nothing was done to control the situation at the black mountain waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery will break out at the mountain and in Nkana West and other surrounding areas.