Yaluma takes a swipe at emerald association leadership 

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 10:48:42 +0000

By ROGERS KALERO

IT IS ‘‘irresponsible, careless and stupid’’ for Emerald Watch Production of Zambia (EWPZ) president Musa Kafimbwa to incite people to rise against Government for personal glory, says Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma.

Mr Yaluma said the behaviour of what he termed a ‘’one-man organization’’   to promote violence was totally irresponsible and misguided.

Mr Yaluma warned that Mr Kafimbwa could land into serious troubles for alleging that even President Edgar Lungu had no right to shut the illegal settlement at Pilala market in the gemstone area of Lufwanyama district.

He was reacting to remarks by Mr Kafimbwa at the weekend that no one, including President Edgar Lungu, had the right to evict the illegal miners from Pilala market, saying only former Gemcanton (Grizzly) chief executive director Abdoulaye Ndiaye aka “Gounassi”, could close the infrastructure because he was the one who established it. During a meeting organized by Mr Kafimbwa at Pilala market on Saturday and attended by UPND Lufwanyama MP Leonard Fungulwe, Mr Kafimbwa told the people in the area that no one had the right to shut the market except for Mr Ndiaye because he was the one who established it.

At the same meeting, the MP told the illegal miners to beat up whoever tried to evict them because the land in the gemstone area belonged to them.

But Mr Yaluma said the remarks by Mr Kafimbwa were not only ‘‘irresponsible and careless but also stupid’’ and warned him that such utterances could land him in trouble.

“Those remarks from that young man Kafimbwa are not only irresponsible and careless, but also stupid remarks coming from a leader of an NGO.  He should find better ways of gaining recognition instead of inciting people. He should know that he is committing an offense and he can be arrested,” Mr Yaluma said.

Asked if he had met Mr Fungulwe regarding the issue of illegal miners, Mr Yaluma admitted having met the Lufwanyama MP, but denied that he had allowed the illegal miners to stay in the gemstone area.

He said ‘‘illegal miners were illegal’’ and that Government would not allow illegality anywhere where mining activities were being carried out.

He stressed that illegal miners at Pilala market should be evicted from the area without any conditions.

“Yes, I met him, but we didn’t discuss the issue of allowing illegal miners to live there. No, that was not discussed. He told me that he will be going to the constituency, but I didn’t know that he was coming to talk about illegal miners in the area.

“Anyway, I will not say a lot of things about the Lufwanyama MP, but I will talk to him when we meet. I don’t want to say a lot of things in the media, but as law makers let us not support wrong things in order to gain political mileage,” Mr Yaluma said.