‘Gold is for Zambians’
He said in an exclusive interview yesterday, it was unacceptable to allow foreign nationals to benefit from the resource which was for Zambians.
Mr Kavindele has joined stakeholders, such us the traditional leaders from North-Western Province and Economic Association of Zambia president Lubinda Haabazoka and some citizens who have rejected the involvement of foreign investors in gold mining.
Mr Kavindele who is also former Minister of Health said Zambian citizens must benefit from their God given resource for their livelihoods to improve.
Mr Kavindele who is also former Kabompo West Member of Parliament, said Zambians were the owners of the resources and must earn much desired revenue which would trickle down to the improvement of the country’s economic wheels.
“Government must demarcate an area at Kasenseli gold area for the local people to mine and then the local people can sell to ZCCM-IH. If ZCCM-IH want to mine peacefully this is what they should do, so that the people can benefit.
Local people must be seen to benefit from their resource. And as far as gold processing is concerned a processing plant must be installed at Kasenseli so that people there can benefit from the electricity that will be taken there and jobs which will be created.
“That way then the operations will be peaceful otherwise we can’t see peace there if locals will not be involved in the gold mining activities,” he said.
The people must benefit from this resource, Mr Kavindele said, they would not allow their Gold given natural resource to benefit foreigners who came from Sudan and other countries.
Mr Kavindele said involvement of foreign nationals in mining the lucrative resource would be unacceptable, therefore, for Government through ZCCM-IH to mine peacefully it should engage locals.
It cannot be that all mining of resources there must have the involvement of foreign investors, Mr Kavindele said.
Traditional leaders in North-Western Province said gold at Kasenseli must be mined by locals not the US$2.5 million foreign company that will make them perpetual employees.
They have vowed not to cooperate with any company, including ZCCM-IH if locals were not given their own area to mine.