Government has today suspended mining and processing operations at Kasenseli gold mine in Mwinilunga district of North-western province.
The mine was operating under mining license number 26457.
This is contained in a letter date October 22nd, 2021 signed by Mooya Lumamba, the Director of Mines and Safety in the Mines Safety Department of the Ministry of Mines.
Mr. Lumamba said operations at Kasenseli mine have been suspended for many reasons among them having no legally appointed manager to supervise, control and direct operations as required under sections 102 of mines and mineral development Act number 11 of 2015, read together with mining regulation 202(1).
He further said since Kasenseli started the gold mining it has not been submitting statutory reports such as mineral production returns, labour returns and water analysis returns contrary to mining regulations 2118 and 2119.
Mr. Lumamba further said the company did not also obtain consent for commencement of mining operations from the traditional leadership.
“It is very evident that you did not have a social license from the host community to operate the mine,” he said.
Kasenseli mining company has since been directed to comply with the directive to suspend the operations failure to which it will result in breach of mining regulation 304.
Mr. Lumamba said the directive will remain in force until all issues highlighted are closed up.
Yesterday, chief Chibwika of the Lunda people in Mwinilunga district called on government to shut down the operations at Kasenseli gold mine saying the company was operating without land rights and consent from him.
He told ZANIS in an exclusive interview at the just ended provincial mining and chiefs indaba that Kasenseli mine, which is run by Zambia Gold, a subsidiary of ZCCM-IH, has failed to agree with him on how the community should benefit and has been very antagonistic about the matter.
The Zambia Gold started its operations at Kasenseli in June 2020.
Is it truly Kansenseli mine? Or it’s Lungu & Sudanese mine?
Mr Lumamba be truthful. Where were you when the mine started without full filling all those statutory requirements. You were in that position at the time the mine started its operations. Just admit that you were either forced by the former government or you are being forced by the current government to open or to close the mine respectively. You are a veteran miner and you know that no mine can be allowed to operate without submitting statistical returns each month and each year…accidents, explosives, production, environmental reports are a must. Besides that MSD officers are supposed to visit each mine physically. You have disappointingly failed.
About time. Get all these assets under a company solely owned by the nation so that we plug these holes. We can’t continue with confused and disorganised way of running a country, without preserving and protecting our assets. reorganise and reinvigorate ZCCM, so that we correct the situation. Get all these people in the ZNS and give then skills to build the country in other ways. With loans in billions, we need all hands on deck but every penny accounted for. Time to bring about a new Constitution focused on dealing with all these issues. Time to reset!
Created on the crooked foundations typical of the lungu GRZ…………
Nothing they done was stightforward and by regulations…….
Chipante pante Government in full swing Chipante pante mode…and baby President HH thought running a country is the same as having 400 cows….UPND has already failed
If by any chance the mine need a safety officer am available