‘Armed UPND cadres terrorising gold miners’
By Adrian Mwanza
SUSPECTED United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres armed with guns and other weapons are allegedly terrorising gold miners in Mpika forcing a number of them to flee the area for fear of being harmed, Mpika Member of Parliament Francis Kapyanga has said.
Rising on an urgent matter without notice, Kapyanga said miners who had been issued with licences were now living in constant fear because of the cadres who were beating them.
Kapyanga said several miners had fled the area because of a hostile and toxic environment.
“Madam Speaker, I would like to rise on an urgent matter without notice over the issue concerning our people in Mpika who are being terrorised by UPND cadres armed with guns and have taken charge of the mining area,” he said.
He called on the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources Paul Kabuswe, to quickly intervene in the matter before lives were lost.
Kapyanga said government issued artisanal licences for people to legally mine gold in the area, but UPND cadres were now beating miners.
He urged the Miniter of Home Affairs and Internal Security and Mines Ministry to quickly intervene in the matter as a number of lives were at stake.
But Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti rejected Kapyanga’s request. Ends
