JERABO INTERNAL WARS WORRY SMALL SCALE MINERS
THE differences between groups of small scale miners in Chingola have adversely affected business, a situation which has been described as volatile despite the intensified police patrols.
But chairman of a group of Jerabos calling itself ‘Big Tree Society’, Martin Kalunga, has
disclosed that his group was not part of those that were fighting.
He told the Daily Nation in an interview that they were many groups of small scale miners, but that some wanted to do things on their own.
He said his group adhered to the law of the land and that it could not tolerate lawlessness at the expense of seeking avenues that could bring to rest the challenges some miners might have faced.
“We are many in this business and others are big-headed and want to do things their own way because they are working with big people, and they are the same people who are bringing differences,” he said.
Groups of small scale miners
are fighting and allegedly damaging private property suspected to be owned by their rivals.
And former Chingola mayor Macdonald Mulongoti said Chingola small scale miners need to be peaceful in the conduct of their mining activities and that they should not break the law.
He said the residents of Chingola and Chiwempala on the Copperbelt were living in fear and expressed concern about the evident rift between two groups commonly known as Russia and America respectively.
He said it was vital that whenever the miners had any issues or needed clarification, it was always prudent for them to engage the government through
the office of the district commissioner, the mayor, Members of Parliament or civic leaders.
“The government has the tenacity and is committed to creating youth employment as it has demonstrated in Kitwe where part of the black mountain has been given to the small scale miners as part of youth empowerment; and we expect Chingola miners to be motivated by such gesture and lobby government to replicate the same here in Chingola with the available dump sites.
“As it stands, all the businesses falling within the said areas are adversely affected because of the volatility of the situation even with intensified police patrols,” he said.