ROGERS KALERO
RENOWNED Chingola Businessman Kabaso Mulenga Baba popularly known as Spax Mining has empowered 201 marketeers, who lost their goods during the riot which erupted in Chingola two weeks ago with K3, 000 each to enable them get back to their feet.
The marketeers, who were from Chiwempa, Lulamba and Maitenake lost their goods when small scale miners also known as Jerabos riot on April 3, 2025 looting shops and damaging property and other valuables
Mr Mulenga said his decision to empower marketeers who lost goods during was not a political campaign, but was done to help them get back to their feet after losing their goods
“I was saddened by the riot which occurred in the district and left a lot of damage which also resulted into marketeers losing their merchandise. It is for this reason that, in my small and humble way, I have decided to empower these marketeers who were affected by the riot,” Mr Mulenga said.
“Let me emphasise that this is not a political campaign, but a way of empowering marketers in the district who were affected by the riot. I would like to encourage the marketeers to work hard with the empowerment to their business as it is not a loan, but something to sustain their business and daily live hood,” he said
On April 3, 2025, a number of buildings were damaged, while mealie meal and other food stuffs were looted from some shops when irate Chingola residents, particularly Small Scale miners looted several shops to protest over government’s delay to find them a source of living after stopping them from mining activities at Senseli mine which claimed more than 30 lives last year during a mine accident
The small scale miners were allegedly promised that they would return to Senseli mine on March 20, after the mine accident, but up now, there have not been given a signal to return to the mine, a development which resulted into a riot Some Chingola residents like Mary Njovu, Martha Chalwe, Philip Pule and Charles Chilombo commended Mr Mulenga for his gesture and urged investors in the district to emulate the youthful Chingola businessman
“Mr Mulenga or Baba or Spax Mining as he is known has done a good job which even some investors have not done. This shows that the young man has the heart for the people, he is ready to share with the community,” Ms Chslwe said
