Johannesburg — Chipoka Mulenga named in Mining Scandal
..Chipoka and Laila named at the heart of illegal mining and illegal purchase of copper in Chingola..
The Zambian minister, the mysterious businesswoman and illegal mining
“There is a new mining order that is coming. Embrace it, but what is illegal, do not tolerate it,” says Minister Chipoka Mulenga.
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Illegal mining is rife at Sensele Mine in Zambia.
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Many lives have been claimed.
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For example, over 30 people died in a mudslide in December 2023.
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The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) reports, proceeds from illegal mining in Zambia are contributing to billions of dollars in illicit financial flows, facilitated by corruption and criminal networks.
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The FIC’s 2024 Trends Report details a sophisticated system of smuggling and tax evasion, involving both Zambian and foreign nationals.
Sensele Enterprises and Zambia’s government appear to lay the blame for the continuation of illegal mining at each other’s doors.
Questions have been raised about the relationship between Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industries Chipoka Mulenga and a businessperson who is known as “Laila”, and the latter’s role in the mine.
Sensele Enterprises and Zambia’s government appear to lay the blame for the continuation of illegal mining at each other’s doors.
Questions have been raised about the relationship between Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industries Chipoka Mulenga and a businessperson who is known as “Laila”, and the latter’s involvement at the mine (we do not know if this is her real name or how it is spelt).
She told us she was there to provide humanitarian assistance, support she claimed to routinely offer. However, she later said that her lawyer would respond on her behalf.
The Lusaka-based law firm Shepande & Company, representing Laila, then contacted us and requested a written inquiry. We responded, asking for details on the registered organisation through which Laila provides humanitarian assistance.
We asked, among other things, for clarification on whether Laila is involved in the purchase or trade of copper ore from illegal mining operations at Sensele Mine or elsewhere in Zambia.
We also asked that she address or refute allegations that she pays commissions to political figures or government officials to facilitate mining and mineral trading activities.
In a written response, Shepande & Company stated that they were instructed to reiterate their client’s sentiments expressed in our telephone conversation of 6 August.
The firm warned that it would “commence legal proceedings for libel should the intended article contain any injurious and nonfactual information and or allegations against our client”.
The firm also declined to answer the specific questions raised, stating that the information requested – such as location data – constitutes personal data that their client does not consent to share.
While the ruling United Party for National Development condemns illegal mining, Zambia’s Financial Intelligence Centre’s 2024 Trends Report confirms that it is not only a thriving industry, it is enabled by corruption and linked to international criminal networks.
The FIC uncovered a K1 billion (approximately US$5 million) mineral smuggling syndicate operating between 2022 and 2024. The scheme involved Zambian citizens and East African nationals who smuggled foreign cash into Zambia to buy illegal copper, gold, and gemstones, which were then smuggled out without paying taxes or passing through customs.
In 2024 alone, the FIC flagged over US$3.5 billion in suspected illicit financial flows, mainly linked to mineral trade and trade misinvoicing.
Hotspots identified include Kasempa, Mufulira, Kitwe, and Chingola, where minerals flowed out and untaxed foreign currency came in through bank accounts and mobile wallets, often registered under Zambian proxies.
The FIC also found 131 companies or individuals involved, including over 400 legal entities and over 800 people,many of them foreign nationals or their proxies.
Source: https://groundup.org.za/article/the-zambian-minister-mysterious-businesswoman-illegal-mining/