• Government is playing its role in the midst of a lot of challenges.
• However, there must be engagement between government and the chiefs.
• There is conflict and misunderstanding between small scale miners and the Chiefs.
Small Scale Miners Association of Zambia has called for dialogue between government and traditional leaders in the country in order for the mining industry to grow in a structured way.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Association Executive Director Kunda Chani said there is a lot of conflict between Small Scale Miners and some Chiefs in the country when it comes to land administration matters.
Mr. Chani stressed the need for government to engage traditional leaders so that they are able to embrace small scale miners who intend to inject money in mining projects within their chiefdoms.
He however noted that government is playing its role in the midst of a lot of challenges to ensure that the mining sector keeps running effectively.
“I think government is playing its role in the midst of a lot of challenges. However, the biggest appeal that we want to make to government is that there must be engagement between government and the chiefs. If the industry is going to grow very well in a structured way, government must engage the Chiefs.”
“There is conflict and misunderstanding between small scale miners and the Chiefs. Our biggest appeal in the midst of government providing the support, government needs to further engage the chiefs to harmonize because across the country we have a lot of conflicts with the chiefs. When we come in to invest and inject money as small scale miners, the chiefs should be all embracing to us as their children,” Mr. Chani pleaded.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chani observed that there has been inadequate dissemination of information on programs that government has created in the mining sector.
He advised government through the Permanent Secretary’s office in the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development to take interest in inviting members of the Association so that they find a solution as to why information is not reaching its general membership.
“I don’t know if this is government’s problem or it’s us as institutions that are not doing much so that we create platforms that the general membership can know. I think government is doing enough in terms of providing an environment, but they are not doing it to the fullest I don’t want to over commend them, but if government is able to meet 85% of a particular requirement, then government is even going beyond the political will that we have been demanding for.”
“If government is playing its role, as an association we must also play our role so that there is delivery to the general membership,” he said.