By ADRIAN MWANZA
GOVERNMENT has directed Nkana Alloy to stop selling the concentrate from the Black Mountain but stick to the guidelines of their licence which was a processing plant to avoid future problems following an invasion of their slug dump site by irate miners.
He was reacting to the invasion of the Black Mountain by suspected UPND cadres aggrieved with the company’s decision to “steal” the market from small-scale miners.
Mr Kabuswe in an interview said the action by the firm caused anxiety amongst small-scale miners who protested as they felt that the market was being infiltrated by the illegal sale of the concentrate.
“The fear of the youth is that the market is flooded, so they went to tell Nkana Alloy to do what was stipulated in the licence rather than what they were doing,” he said.
Mr Kabuswe however said he had engaged the firm and that they had promised to stop what they were doing and that calm had returned.
“I can assure you that this issue has been resolved and everything has gone back to normal,” he said.
Mr Kabuswe said that the youth did not go to the Black Mountain to cause havoc but just tried to air their views and find an amicable solution.
He said he did not expect to hear any more problems and qualms from both camps since their concerns had been dealt with.
Mr Kabuswe also said the government was trying to do the right thing and that was the reason some projects seemed to have been moving at a snail’s pace.
And Mr Kabuswe hailed the move President Hakainde Hichilema to ensure that miners at Mopani Copper Mines were paid their dues.
He said the President had fulfilled his pledge to ensure that no miner was axed and that they were given their money.
