Vice President has asked the Ministry of Mines and Minerals development to ensure that the copper slug dumpsites known as ‘Black Mountain’ in the province are not hijacked by established businessmen.
Speaking when she addressed journalists at a press briefing held at Sheborne Hotel in Kitwe, Ms Wina emphasized that the copper dumpsites must be awarded to youths as a way of empowerment and further directed the Ministry to revisit other dormant copper slug dumpsites in the province and surrender them to youths.
Ms Wina emphasized that the law, laid procedures and guidelines must be followed before the youths can have access to the dumpsites and has assured Copperbelt residents that government will not disappoint them.
The vice President directed that youths must have access to all copper rich dump sites on the Copperbelt to boost job creation.
Mrs. Wina has also pleaded with mines on the Copperbelt to ensure big businesses do not hijack the operations of the slug dumps to the detriment of the youth.
The Vice President said the slag dumps popularly known us black mountain must be surrendered to the youths to enhance job creation in the region.
Mrs. Wina who has since returned to Lusaka was briefing the press in Kitwe on her just ended two-day official visit.
And Copperbelt Youth Chairperson Nathan Chanda has called for transparency and accountability in the distribution of resources at the ore rich black mountain where operations resumed yesterday.
Mr. Chanda said business at the black mountain must be done in an equitable manner to ensure all the youths’ benefit from the mountain.
He said no levels of selfishness at the centre of operations at the black mountain will be entertained.
Meanwhile, PF Provincial Chairperson Steven Kainga praised government for reopening the slag dump.
And Chapamo group of companies said they will abide by the stringent measures put in place by government to manage operations at the mountain.
This is why Inonge must resign. She doesn’t not comprehend Law or Safety
How can you mine on a slab which is just a product of mining? Bushe balipota mwali tontonkanyapo palifi? Is that mining taking place in the pictures?
It is much safer and easier work for guys to work on that toxic dump than go underground to crack rocks.
I wonder why should be just youths, even retrenched or fired miners should be aloud to work there.
Youths should stay in school.
Turning the owners of land to scavenger status by their own government.
A government of ultimatum and threats. No solutions or vision to govern. Failed state of affairs
Look at the 500,000 jobs lungu promised in 2016 or the 1.5 million jobs pa,
Yet the corrupt theives see no harm in buying a $50 million jet for lungu while we have 80% unemployed and all they offer is scavenger jobs to the youth…
That $50 million can train all those youth in world skills like welding, carpentry , tailoring or mechanics
APPARATCHIK
July 17, 2018 at 3:33 pm
STOP AND THINK, WE ARE BEING CONNED HERE.
We surely can create wealth and make money locally.
As a starting point all those that will load slag from the Black mountain must pay US$150 per 30 tonne truck load.
The locals are transporting the slag to the Chinese, so we know the dollar will come from China for the slag.
Simple calculation (Cobalt Metal not included)
Slag Copper Analysis is 1.12 % Total Copper
Concentrator / Flotation Recovery is 78 % TCu
Smelter Recovery is 95 % Copper with refineries giving another 95 %
Slag Volume on the Mountain is approximately 50,000,000 Tonnes
At copper price of US$7000
This translates into US$2.8 Billion.(0.0112*0.78*0.95*0.95*50,000,000*7000)
The Govt must get 150*50,000,000/30 = US$250 Million from…
Super Delegate
July 16, 2018 at 4:44 pm
From the statement, it is evident that the cadres for hire are pressurizing the government to open the mine soonest with or without safety measures put in place. The government is panicking.
Free advice and the safest one, sale the shares of the mine allocated to these small scale miners and open a Revolving Fund Account with ZANACO where all unemployed Zambian youths can access business loans at a fair interest. The mine belongs to the Zambian people and not just PF cadres.
@reflectionBane, thanks! Just as you have highlighted. The government does not understand that there is a worst kind of exploitation among the youths as the law of the jungle is being applied in these black mountains. Only the politically connected and savage gangs are benefiting.
reflectionBane
I don’t think those slag heaps contain $2 billion worth of copper or it would be cheaper than having some of our mines….maybe in the region of under $10 million.
@Super Delegate, my worry is also the failure by us citizens to demand prudence in the manner the whole thing is being handled. Where are the stakeholders; MUZ, School of Mines, local MPs … to put pressure so that a broader legitimate framework for all communities to benefit and participate can be arrived at. Those mountains are a legacy of all local communities in the areas through their sweat, toil and tears, not forgetting the health as well as environment damage mining has had.
Ba mining students, where you, tell us how best we can maximize from these mountains, you must have collected samples for analysis. Sure we can’t male even simple batteries.
The Old Hen Bo Inonge barking useless orders as if tgey can even listen to this toothless granny!!
You guys from the copperbelt. How many black mountains does Zambia have?
3 namely:
Kitwe
Mufulira, and
Luanshya
Sorry 5, Chambishi has 2, small ones
Is 2021 that near??
So scavenging on dump sites is job creation for the PF yet when someone like a maid or gardener is employed and given wages below the new minimum wage they will say no we want all our people to have decent jobs with decent wages.
Ore rich? What journalistic errors are these? There are mineral residues in that stuff. Once the Copper price falls all this will be nothing!
I would encourage you to be patriotic and discourage the contentious exploitation of our resources. Mind you the technology and processes which were used in the early days were not as good as what we have now. The best thing is to ask “patriotic honest experts” to analyze samples at different levels in order to have a clear idea what is hidden under those mountains.
Just because kopala didnt participate in prayer day events. They hv realised they will loose votes. Smh
Very good reflectionBane. Love your analysis. Not just bloggers posting insults and call themselves ba gratuate. When are we going to develop? Pa last tuleilishyanyafye ati amachoncholi nabatwingilila. Chilabushiku ninsele. No proper contribution. Please twapapata ba cadre!!!!!
How did we get from being a nation in the 80s and 90s that had a policy of diversifying the economy to reduce dependency on copper mining to where the President and V Preside are now encouraging what should be our most productive resource, the youth, to scavenge on mining dumps!? How short-sighted can we as a nation? There are so many economic activities, that are safe and more transformative that the government should be encouraging than this nonsense.
Yeh!! they have created employment as promised for the youth, what directionless, visionless imbac!les, this is the employment they promised the youth,so to them one election promise of employment has been fulfilled, when we say these id!ots have no vision you think we are crazy, now all you unemployed youths can all walk to Kitwe and start digging what a fcuken life!!!
Leadership, leadership, lack of it results in all of us chasing the wind. I hate to say it feels like we are orphans at the moment.