Gold miners want licences for mineral-rich areas only

GOVERNMENT should ensure that mining licences are only issued for areas which have sufficient gold deposits to enable miners to mop up enough for sale to ZCCM-IH.

GOVERNMENT should ensure that mining licences are only issued for areas which have sufficient gold deposits to enable miners to mop up enough for sale to ZCCM-IH.

Small Scale Miners Association of Zambia (SSAZ) president, Kunda Chani, said that it would be pointless to issue hundreds of licences in areas which did not have enough resource.

“We want to advise Government that some of the panning licences that are being given must ensure that the areas they are picking for purposes of issuing licences should have necessary gold that our members are looking for.

“There is no point picking areas that might not have necessary mineral. It is important that the technical team at Ministry of Mines guide the Permanent Secretary and the minister well before these licences are issued out,” he said.

Mr Chani added: “Having licences is one thing but the area that you have been cleared to do the gold panning from is the one which is very important.”

“As we issue licences, the technical team that they send on the ground should verify that these areas that they are issuing licences for should have the required gold that our people are looking for.

“That is why we are calling upon Ministry of Mines to work hand in hand with our association so that we can provide guidance because we know what is on the ground,” he said.

Mr Chani said however that his association was happy that Government had been consistent in promoting participation in gold mining.