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Government should encourage mining partnerships instead of cancelling struggling artisanal and small-scale mines, the Emerald and Semi-precious Miners Association of Zambia (ESMAZ) has said.
Recently the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development announced the revocation of 600 mine licenses for non-payment of statutory obligations for more than three years after a 30-day ultimatum elapsed.
Also read:https://www.zambiamonitor.com/govt-revokes-600-licenses-of-small-scale-miners/
BESMAZ president Victor Kalesha said the Government should have taken time to appreciate the challenges small scale miners go through before revoking their mine licenses.
“Why are they idle(small scale mines), that is the question Zambians should be asking and find a solution rather than advocating for cancellation. People have spent colossal amounts of money before getting idle,” Kalesha said.
He said in an interview on Thursday that the government had instituted measures to organize the small-scale mining sectors through empowerment which was commendable.
Kalesha said instead of cancellation, the new applicants should have been encouraged to partner with already existing and valid license holders.
“The President (Hakainde Hichilema) is advocating for the reorganisation of the small-scale mining sector like is the case in Tanzania and other African countries which the Ministry of Mines should implement instead of cancelling mining licenses ,” he said.
He said the reason most of the mines were idle was due to lack of support by government previously, hence the need to reverse the cancellation now that the new dawn government was putting in measures to resuscitate the small scale segment.
“ We are talking about regulating and formalising the artisanal and small scale mining sector while cancelling the already formalised mines is not any closer to the solutions required on the table,” Kalesha said.
He said the Government should engage the small-scale sector and find a solution to their dormancy.
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