By ROGERS KALERO
ILLEGAL miners and charcoal burners have invaded the emerald area in Lufwanyama, the Emerald and Semi-precious Stones Mining Association of Zambia (ESMAZ) has said.
ESMAZ General Secretary, Shadreck Mwape, said despite the presence of the police mobile police unit in the area, the influx of illegal miners and charcoal burners has continued.
Mr Mwape said at the weekend that he was hoping that the security situation would be addressed to bring law and order in the emerald area.
“The security situation in the emerald area is so porous and this has made ESMAZ deeply concerned with the security situation.
“We are deeply concerned with the influx of illegal miners, charcoal burners, and illegal settlers doing farming in the emerald area despite having the mobile police unit in the area. This shows security has been compromised, “Mr Mwape said.
And Mr Mwape said ESMAZ was against the re-demarcating Kagem Mining Limited because the firm has a mining license over the entire area.
“There have been some sentiments from some sections of society that Kagem Emerald Mining Limited should be re demarcated. As ESMAZ, we are totally against this idea because the emerald mining company has a license over the entire area
“The Government has 25 per cent shareholding of the same area. The opinion of ESMAZ is that we should follow the laws of the land and also the Mining and Minerals Act of 2015,” he said.
Recently, the Emerald Production Watch of Zambia (EPWZ) President Musa Kafimbwa urged Government to double check Kagem’s vastness and subdivide it to accommodate the locals.
EPWZ is an organization that looks in the affairs of the emerald mining and how Government can maximise benefits through enacting laws and policies for the betterment of Zambians.
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