By SILUMESI MALUMO
MWINILUNGA Member of Parliament Newton Samakayi will be caged for fuelling illegal mining, Minister of Mines and Mineral Development Richard Musukwa has warned.
Mr Musukwa said Mr Samakayi had no mandate to order the security agencies to leave gold areas so that the locals can carry on illegal mining.
If the MP wants to promote illegality in the area and if he is involved in the illegality, the law will visit him, he said.
Small-Scale Association of Zambia president Kunda Chani on Tuesday told the Daily Nation in an interview that United Party for National Development (UPND) MP, Mr Samakayi was fuelling illegal mining in gold areas.
He said it was unfortunate that the MP could advocate illegal activities that could not benefit the nation at large.
In his statement the MP had given President Edgar Lungu and Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo a one-week ultimatum to withdraw the police from Kasenseli gold mine in the district or people would descend on the gold facilities.
But Mr Musukwa warned Mr Samakayi that Government would not tolerate individuals who want to cause chaos.
“Clearly you can see that the MP wants to get cheap political mileage from the activities which are taking place in Mwinilunga,” he said.
Mr Musukwa said the MP must not popularise himself by doing illegal things or encouraging illegal exploitation of the mineral resources.
The mineral resources, Mr Musukwa said, do not belong to the Member of Parliament instead they were held by the Republic of Zambia through the President.
“The MP is committing an offence and he has no mandate to ask the police to move out. Who can ask the police to move out, the MP must know that the security agencies are there at the pleasure of the commander in-chief who is the President of the Republic of Zambia.
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