The National Democratic Congress has urged Government to monitor the mining of gold and other precious minerals at Lumwana Mine in North Western province.
Party Secretary General Mwenya Musenge said Government might be losing out a lot of revenue through the sale of gold.
Mr. Musenge said his party has information that Lumwana Mine is exporting over 800 kilograms of gold on a monthly basis and has challenged Lumwana mine to come out clean over this matter.
“This is a serious allegations that Lumwana mine management should clear. We want to know the truth on this matter, we have information that the mine has not been declaring its gold sales to relevant authorities”, Mr. Musenge said.
He said the gold is usually bundled in light aircrafts and flown to a named country with some officials at the Ministry of Mines aware about the illicit gold transactions.
Mr. Musenge who has demanded for transparency and accountability in the mining and export of gold said it is prudent therefore that Government puts in place a mechanism to monitor the mining of gold at lumwana.
He has also appealed to the Zambia Revenue Authority to move in and investigate the purported sale and export of gold at Lumwana.
Meanwhile, Mr. Musenge has urged Government to ban the export of copper blisters by mining companies which contain other rich mineral particles such as gold that are not declared at exportation.
He said it is high time that the Zambian people started fully benefiting from their vast mineral wealth.
This is true ba government move in quickly these people are up to no good. That’s true patriotism ba Musenge, politics aside.
Regardless of what they find be it minerals with millions of $ it will make no difference to the common man. Why bother?
You do realize I have a PhD?
Thanks
BB2014,2016
I have been hearing reports of mining Gold from this place for the last 10 years…same thing was happening in Tanzania but they have a vigilant patriotic uncorruptable man as President who backdated his charges on the mining to company and billed them billions in revenue lost something that the corrupt Lazy Lungu can not do just look at how the ZRA 7 billion dollar tax bill has gone quiet on a Canadian mining giant in NW.
This has been a problem for years that is why Dr. Haabazoka had a point. You got to be shareholders as government and can’t just let things go by, letting them own everything. You cannot trust investors.
Lazy bum illiterate tribal Mapatizya Formula online chair hooligan bully son of tribal polygamist father who never taught him toilet training pooping in public HAGAIN son of HAKAINDE MENTALLY-DISABLED tribalist UPND leader who will NEVER be a president needing MUTINTA to change his DIAPER HAGAIN.
A few days ago… I commented on LT that the children of darkness of whom pray to a lesser god are here devouring Zambians.
People were thumbing me down… as I said Zambians need to exorcise the ghost of judging without understanding and the ghost of condemning without thought.
The children of darkness are here and have converted Zambians. They have a mark of Caine on their foreheads… you can’t miss them…
Satanists have the mark of the beast. They celebrated Halloween a few days ago and do not believe in the Lordship of Jesus. They are also being used to destroy Zambia. They denounce rule of law and delight in lawlessness. They are agents of Satan. They insult the leadership at will and want to plunge the nation into chaos. They do not know how they can convince voters to vote for the them but they subtly speak a language of deceit which ONLY knowledgeable people can decode. They are TRIBALISTS and will NEVER succeed in their endeavors because God is God over Zambia.
If even 30% of the monies from all the sales of minerals (copper, emeralds) were banked in Zambian accounts, our country would be one of the richest nations in Sub-saharan Africa.
Why not copy the Chilean model? Just search images/videos of Santiago Chile on g00gle or Youtu.be then compare with Lusaka. Not even Joburg can come close to Santiago.
When the initial geological reports came out for Lumwana, the ore deposits showed that we had a variance of 25% gold, 28% copper, 20% uranium and about 18% cobalt and the rest impurities.
The copper content was generally lower than that on the copper and because LPM was in a hurry to bring in another mining giant, he ignored our advise on the importance of monitoring other mineral contents.
We have so far lost billions of dollars in gold, uranium and cobalt and its time for charge backs all the way to 1998.
Last year we informed authorities about violations in Zambian airspace. It’s those private planes landing at Kalumbila at night taking our precious metals and they didn’t listen to that clarion call.
We run this country and can easily take matters in our hands to preserve…
Continued…
We run this country and can easily take matters in our hands to preserve the republic. Last call, all minerals need to sold at market prices, FOB Lusaka no questions asked.
Margaret, can you help initiate this for us?? We would appreciate all the help we can get from you and the Ministry of Mines. Now, this is bold move and there are powerful forces against us but we are equal to the task.
Zambia Is Greater Than Any Single One Of Us ~ B R Mumba, Sr
Also, have you ever wondered why every major airport or any small airport with increased air traffic has either that State’s National Guard or US Air Force aircrafts on the ground in the United States of America???
If that private airport is properly run by our intelligence officers with the Zambia Air Force jets packed right there, do you think our assets would be vanguishing???
On top of that, it’s a matter of national security, you cannot have this situation condoned at all.
Let’s roll …
I don’t know why this is news. I learnt 40 years ago in junior secondary school that in the process of mining copper, you also get calbalt and gold. So in this case not only this mine but other copper mines too get gold and export. In 2016 it is on record that Zambia exported in excess of $200 million worth of gold. So govt. knows.
Transparency and accountability is what has been lacking for a long time in the mining sector.The revelations by Mr Mwenya should be taken seriously.Where is the Chamber of mines?The defender of mining mischiefs.
Correct Ba Musenge on the export of anode and blister copper. Anode copper and blister copper contain gold, silver , platinum, palladium and selenium. FQM, KCM and Chambeshi copper smelter are smuggling these hidden minerals by not electro refining anode and blister copper in Zambia. The cost of shipment is being covered by one of the minor metals probably silver and Paladium and platinum. 1 tonne of anode or blister copper generates about 2 Kg of anode slime which contain the precious metals. My estimate is the that for 300000 t from FQM, 150000t for KCM and 150000t from Chambeshi of anodes and blister being refined outside, about 1800t of anode slimes are generated at grades of 2000g/t gold and 2.5% silver which translates to 3.6t gold and 45tof silver. The moneys are there for you to…
@KasamaBoy … That’s exactly the reason all these metals can’t be exported in that form. This whole thing started with LPM and we warned about those loopholes.
It’s time to seal all of them. That’s the more reason we also have to build our own local capabilities to refine locally or your licenses get revoked.
Our GDP is grossly undervalued because of these schemes
Where is Nathan Chishimba the defender of our mineral resources thieves? The owners of Lumwana Mines come from Australia, and if you care, do you see the type of houses that are in that country and where do you think all the $$$$ to construct them come from? Its from Zambia! They steal with impunity, resist to pay applicable and correct taxes, electricity tariff to support their activities is incredibly low. Just tune to the DSTV and see the program called Grand Designs, minimum cost of those houses in $1 million and you wonder where it comes from? Its Zambia.. ZRA must not even cheat itself, it has failed to collect money on behalf of Government from these so called Mine Investors.
You need to calm down and do a bit more research or travel. Australia isn’t built on money stolen from Zambia!! You have an over-inflated view of where Zambia stands in the world and in the eyes of Australia.
You look at Grand Designs and think that’s reality for the average Australian?? *****. It would be like me looking at your stupid and ignorant comments as assuming everyone in Zambia is as *****ic as you. Fortunately I know there are many good people in Zambia…..but you, sir, are not one of them.
Wild allegations! Does Musenge have the proof? Lumwana does not export anything! It sells concentrate only to the smelters on the Copperbelt! If Gold is involved, ask those who do smelting and export! Mr Musenge should understand the dangers of making wild and careless statements he cannot prove! You risk endangering the jobs of many Zambians employed by Lumwana! Cheap politics is dangerous! If politics has become difficult, do the honourable thing of leaving the political play field than to start hallucinating about things you can’t prove! I work for this mine and I know what I am talking about!
Yours are cheap politics. It is better to risk 100 jobs in short term and on temporary basis to secure millions of stolen dollars that would benefit 14 plus million poor Zambians for a longer period. You are the people misleading government not to adhere to advice because you take things for politics while your brothers and sister are suffering. Please help the people in government to plan well than wanting them to fell. Remember that ba Sata had barned export of minerals in stones unless after adding some value for the reason ba Musenge I’d advancing. Levy had similar approach in order for you to benefit from our mineral resources.
THIS IS 101% FALSE INFORMATION FELLOW ZAMBIANS. LUMWANA HAS NO GOLD AND HAS NOTHING TO THAT REGARD.
There is also gold being mined in Rufunsa, is any govt official aware?
Zambians awe sure, kuwawayawaya fye. Lumwana has nothing of this sort. The mine sells concentrates to local smelters. Please fellow Zambians, can you stop politiking.? Is it poverty you are talking like this.?
Lumwana has gold. It’s only you who doesn’t know. Ask any miner. The gold is derived from the copper ore and I have spoken to the mine owners on this and they don’t hide
Musenge has always survived on contracts. He must have lost out on a lucrative contract with Lumwana and now resorting to a bad smear campaign! Lumwana should sue Musenge immediately for criminal slander! In fact, bankruptcy proceedings should be commenced so that he joins his consultant CK!
Someone is telling you that they are stealing from you…you think he is jealous what type coonery is that!!
IT MAY TRUE OR FALSE BUT REMEMBER HOW JOHN MAGUFULI CAUGHT ACACIA MINING A SUBSIDIARY OF BARRICK GOLD AND BROKE THEIR GOLD AND OTHER PRECIOUS MINERALS SMUGGLING PRACTICES!!Please don’t trust these foreigners, once they find you sleepy, they steal and exploit with impunity!!
North Mara is 100% Gold mine and NOT Lumwana which has a very low grade of ore, the richest being 0.8%.
The owners just wait for a potential buyer to sell it off. Hopefully it wont be another Indians, then Zambia will completely lose out.
@10.1 Sosoliso, That does NOT remove responsibility from us to stay vigilant! NO ONE has said Lumwana is a pure gold mine BUT THAT SOME GOLD FOUND WITH COPPER ORE COULD BE SMUGGLED!! It may be low level copper producer BUT IT IS STILL A MINE, AN ASSET that yields a return to investors otherwise they would have closed!! Let us learn to value everything we have and to guard them jealously!!
….sorry meant ..It may be low level gold producer BUT IT IS STILL A MINE, AN ASSET that yields a return to investors otherwise they would have closed!!
IT IS KANSANSHI MINE SOLWEZI AND NOT LUMWANA
Ba musenge has gone astray here. Lumwana sells its concentrates locally. Which field is he conversant with? Is he a boilerzo? Ba musenge sit down & take your munkoyo. Otherwise you are just making noise
Is Musege looking for a Job in PF?
It’s very disappointing to hear such desperation from him!
Are you looking for trouble?
You should understand that the only mine that mines Gold in Solwezi is Kansanshi and not Lumwana.
I am sure the Ministry of Mines collects samples from all mines and they surely know what each mine mines.
Musenge is proving to be the worst politician of our time!
Such politics are not good for FDI!
Wild allegations from someone without facts. There is no gold at Lumwana, as such, except the minutes quantities found within the copper concentrate. These are invoiced for by Lumwana from the smelters who buy concentrates from Lumwana, as in all concentrates transactions. And like stated above, Lumwana dos not export these concentrates. The in-situ gold end up at CCS in chambeshi and Lumwana claimed a value for them. This information is in public domain – one wonders how a leader of a political party can not know this. This underscores the real problems the country has. Jokers for leaders.
Musenge is dull.The copper mineralization at Lumwana Mine is almost completely distributed sulphides (typically <5%) dominated by chalcopyrite and bornite with a small amount of the resource classified as oxide or transition. The general strike length of mineralization at Malundwe is roughly six kilometers north-south and up to 1.5 km predominantly as a single Mineralized Ore Schist horizon. The mineralization outcrops in the east, has an overall gentle dip to the west, and plunges to the south. The Chimiwungo deposit is portioned into three blocks by two steep west-northwest trending dip-slip fault zones referred to as Chimiwungo South, Chimiwungo Main (includes the recently discovered Chimiwungo East mineralize North. The mineralization Chimiwungo currently covers up to 1.5 km…
Cont’D …The mineralization Chimiwungo currently covers up to 1.5 km north-south and 2.8 km in the east-west orientation and remains open to the east and south. Of the two major deposits, Malundwe is smaller but with higher copper grade and contains discrete zones of uranium and gold mineralization with occasional sporadic high cobalt (>0.1%). Chimiwungo is much larger and lower in copper grade but has higher overall cobalt and contains a number of substantial high-grade (>0.1%) cobalt zones plus some intermittent uranium mineralization.Gold is not mined at Lumwana…
I am very disappointed with the caliber of opposition we have in Zambia and their ability to gather intelligence data for checks and balances.
Lumwana processes Copper ore into Concentrates that are sold to either KCM or Chambishi Copper Smelter. To process gold you need to have a specialized technology and a Processing Plant – IS LUMWANA HIDING THAT PLANT UNDERGROUND ON IN SPACE? BECAUSE ON SURFACE THERE IS NONE. Musenge should travel to Lumwana and understand the operations there. ANY WAY ONE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A GENIUS TO GO TO PLOT 1 HERE IN ZAMBIA.
As other intelligent bloggers have written above LUMWANA EXPORTS NOTHING – THEY MAKE COPPER CONCENTRATES THAT ARE SOLD LOCALLY.
He got from the tavern that he runs in Kwacha East.
Very sad my brother. Anyway, injaala yabanyokoola ba politician.
Copper orebodiies sometime may contain other minerals at various percentages. It may be there or it may not be there. During Unip time we had the Ndola Copper Refinery which dealt with these precious metals wherever they were found. The refinery was sold to Binani who later removed all the melting ports and exported them to India. As for Lumwana I can’t comment because I don’t know anything about that mine.
@NDANJE KHAKIS
As you have correctly put it the slimes coming from Tankhouses under ZCCM were going the Ndola Copper Refinery and this was the only Plant processing precious minerals in Zambia by then.
Kansanshi is producing some coarse ore cyclone product which contains some elevated levels of Gold (like in coarse sands). This is exported as raw material for further treatment in a Gold Plant abroad. WE CAN’T CALL THAT AS MINING AND PROCESSING GOLD AS MUSENGE PUTS IT. It is just a by-product of Copper processing and it is declared to ZRA as such.
The best is to let the allegations be investigated and after that the investigators must say what the result is, As long as we don’t send corrupt investigators who will be bought for a buck, my suggestion is have an external investigation unit and if there is nothing then that’s the result and if the result is other wise then we have to hold Lumwana accountable. The problem here is people are jumping the gun because Musenge is in the opposition and therefore people think he is bitter. Sanity needs to prevail in big issues that concern contributions to the fiscus considering the quality of life that a mayor Zambian live, we might be bleeding forex and we don’t know about it.
SHOW US THE PROOF OF THIS —— !!! YOU CANNOT MAKE SUCH STATEMENTS WHICH COULD AFFECT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES WITHOUT CREDIBLE PROOF – —- SHOW US THE PROOF!
I think geologist must know better than day dreaming, lumwana mines copper and us Zambian are the ones that digs it.How come we don’t see gold
Barrick has its mines in other countries that produces gold noweder they say barrick gold.not in lumwana.
You’re speaking nonsense
It is not about dismissing anything that comes from the opposition, sometimes let us learn to appreciate the contents rather than the author. Ask the workers around Lumwana mine, there will tell something about the presence of Gold in that area. Some of it may actually be endowed just under the initial staff and contractor housing units. The Austrians may just be a front to Lumwana Mine otherwise it is an American Investment, period. Dont argue from without fellow Zambians
Stop insulting Zambian Meturllugists!
Do you mean to say all our Meturllugists employed in these mines don’t know what Gold looks like? Don’t bring your dirty politics to mining! Mining earns 70% of Zambia’s Forex! Kill the Goose that lays your Golden eggs and you will come face to face with your $tupidity! We even saw some Bailiffs sealing off Lumwana and then left in shame because of Kolwe Musenge’s lies! You Fished a dry one ba dull pompwes!
Maybe HADREAMS HAGAIN.
I think in all, the point is generally that we are not benefiting as much as we should from our own mineral wealth. This is something we should be debating. Control of our resources and meaningful gain.
Lumwana has been known for producing gold since the Kaunda Era. If our governments have done nothing about this then Zambians are to blame for being so sleepy
Zambia Revenue Authority monitors the gold mined the gold mined in Solwezi. The gold bars are checked and verified while still in the smelter and the officer witnesses the loading onto the aircraft at airstrip and signs the export documents. It is just a matter of extending its presence to other mines in the region.
Therefore it is not totally true that the mines are cheating!
Why are Zambians so malicious these days? Just tell your Boma to send independent auditors to get samples in those mines and to let the nation know if there is Gold in Lumwana worth talking about. The trouble in Zambia today is everyone thinks they are experts even in things they don’t understand! Don’t fish in the dark. Gold is a tangible asset whose existence or absence can be verified objectively!