DO IT AT OWN RISK
…soldiers ordered to crush illegal mining – Lufuma
By Adrian Mwanza
THE military will not condone any form of illegal mining in Zambia because the vice has the potential to bring anarchy if left unchecked, Minister of Defence Ambrose Lufuma has warned.
In an exclusive interview with The Mast Lufuma said President Hakainde Hichilema had directed his ministry to curb illegal mining in the country in the national interest.
He said he was aware that countries that had minerals like gold had spiralled into confusion and therefore the Zambian military had been tasked to contain the problem.
“We’re not going to tolerate illegal mining and so the military has been given the responsibility to bring sanity in the country,” Lufuma said.
And when quizzed over the alleged clashes between different factions of suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres, Lufuma said it was not only the cadres who were involved but it was a national problem involving youths from all walks of life.
He noted illegal mining was a danger to the nation and if left unchecked, it could see the birth of armed militias in the country.
“We don’t want to see a situation where militias and tribal chiefs are formed because of minerals which may later become a menace to society,” he said.
Lufuma said there would be no sacred cows in the operation and that the army would carry out a thorough clean-up.
He said there were over 80,000 illegal miners in Mufumbwe and that most of them were not even politically affiliated.
His ministry had agreed with the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development that all forms of illegal mining were dealt with.
“Illegal mining leads to instability in the country and I personally will not tolerate that vice. That is why the military has been tasked to deal with this scourge,” Lufuma said.
He said there were also foreign elements in the background sponsoring illegal mining.
Last week, factions of suspected ruling UPND cadres fought running battles in Mpika District of Muchinga Province over control of illegal gold mining leaving a trail of destruction including shells of burnt-out motor vehicles and demolished make-shift shelters for illegal miners.
The clashes have been linked to some known notorious figures with connections with the ruling party.
