President Hakainde Hichilema has underscored the importance of legal, safe, and structured mining in driving Zambia’s economic growth, as he officially opened the country’s first-ever Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Conference in Lusaka. Addressing delegates yesterday, the Head of State emphasised that artisanal and small-scale miners must transition into formalised operations to contribute meaningfully to job creation, business opportunities, and treasury revenues.

Hichilema described the conference as a landmark moment for Zambia’s mining industry, noting that artisanal mining had long been sidelined in policy discussions despite its vast potential. “Zambia is endowed with various minerals of high economic value, and these minerals should be legally exploited by our citizens and sold to formal, structured markets. There must be no substitute to this methodical way of doing things in every sector,” he said.

The President insisted that mining, which remains the backbone of Zambia’s economy, must be practised under the pillars of legality, safety, formal trade, and security. He stressed that the government will not tolerate lawlessness in mining areas, warning that no site should be allowed to become a breeding ground for violence. “This government will not allow any mining area to become a violent spot,” he declared, drawing applause from participants.

Hichilema also highlighted the need for efficiency and transparency in the licensing regime for artisanal and small-scale miners. He said corruption in the issuance of mining licences had undermined growth in the sector for too long, and pledged that his administration would ensure fairness and accountability. “There must be an efficient system, devoid of any corruption, in the issuance of licences to artisanal and small-scale miners across the country,” he emphasised.

The President linked the theme of the conference to his government’s broader economic transformation agenda, which seeks to diversify mining while ensuring that benefits reach ordinary citizens. He said that by formalising artisanal mining, Zambia could unlock additional revenue streams, reduce illegal exports, and integrate small miners into global value chains.

Industry experts welcomed the President’s message, noting that artisanal and small-scale mining contributes significantly to employment in rural areas but often operates informally, leading to unsafe practices and loss of revenue. According to the Ministry of Mines, more than 500,000 Zambians are engaged in ASM activities, mostly in gold and gemstone mining, yet only a fraction are registered or licensed.

Hichilema said this was precisely why the conference was important, as it brought together stakeholders to chart a new course for ASM. He urged participants to use the platform to share ideas on how to professionalise the sector while ensuring environmental sustainability. “We are determined and committed to making lives better, so let’s all get involved,” he said.

The government’s stance has been applauded by civil society organisations, who have long argued that artisanal miners deserve recognition and support. They note that without proper training, access to finance, and legal protection, many miners remain vulnerable to exploitation by middlemen. Formalisation, they argue, would help miners access structured markets, improve safety standards, and reduce the risks of child labour and environmental degradation.

Economists say the move is also timely given global demand for critical minerals such as cobalt, manganese, and copper, which are abundant in Zambia. Artisanal miners are often the first to access deposits but lack the capacity to market their output competitively. By integrating them into formal supply chains, Zambia stands to expand its mineral exports while creating inclusive economic growth.

Hichilema’s remarks also addressed the social dimension of artisanal mining. He cautioned against violence and unsafe practices that have in the past led to fatalities in informal mines. “Mining must never cost us lives unnecessarily. Safety is not optional, it is mandatory,” he said.

As the conference drew to a close, participants pledged to collaborate on strategies for formalisation, including simplifying licensing procedures, providing technical training, and establishing mineral buying centres. The President’s intervention was widely viewed as a signal of government’s intent to reshape artisanal mining into a structured driver of development.

“May God bless our country,” Hichilema concluded, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and responsible governance.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the Zambian government has made significant strides in the country’s economic growth agenda through a number of policy reforms.

IMF Resident Representative for Zambia, Eric Lautier, says over the past three years, the government has achieved the restoration of fiscal and debt sustainability.

Speaking during the ZNBC Sunday Interview night, Mr Lautier referred to the deficit before 2021, which was averaged in double digit as some of the reasons for borrowing heavily during that period.

Mr Lautier explained that with a 12 percent of overall fiscal deficit every year from 2018 to 2021, the country was always accumulating debt piles, a situation he said was unsustainable.

He however commended the government that it has, since 2021, introduced progressive reforms resulting in disciplined and better targeted spending, while social spending has remained protected.

He added that there is remarkable reallocation from ineffective spending to more targeted and effective spending, citing the health and education sectors where the country has witnessed massive recruitment that is helping to build the human capital.

In terms of debt restructuring, Mr Lautier commended Zambia for attaining about 94 percent debt under restructuring parameters that has been restructured.

“Since the programme began, the overall fiscal balance improved sharply, we had a 5.4 deficit in 2022, 4.5 percent in 2023 which was further narrowed to below two percent in 2024,” he said.

He further highlighted the positive reforms in the agriculture sector that are ensuring high productivity as farmers are getting access to finance to invest in their farms.

Mr Lautier cited the e-voucher as a game changer in the distribution of inputs and also the participation of the private sector in agribusiness.

And Mr Lautier said social spending should be coupled with reforms that focus on sectors that create jobs through tackling the structural barriers that keep small firms in the informal sector and give them incentives to formalise.

He however bemoaned the low rate of access to financing for SMEs, noting the need to improve the financial market infrastructure by modernising the credit information system.

He added that there is need to make formalisation of small businesses attractive by providing favourable incentives for SMEs such as simplifying tax policies, and licensing, which are adequate for development to SMEs.

And a Lusaka –based economist, Kelvin Chisanga, has supported the views of the IMF, stating that Zambia’s economy is on the recovery track due to pursuit in macroeconomic environment, with 2025 growth expected to be between 5.8 and 6.2 percent.

Mr Chisanga added that the budget reform is showing high credibility which is essential to ensuring value for money in public investment.

“IMF iodised debts for Zambia. At the point when we were not credible to sit with creditors, IMF fostered that balance,” he said.

He indicated that social inclusion and transparency must guide Zambia’s next phase of reforms.

Widow Challenges State Over Burial Rights in South African Court

By Court Reporter, Pretoria | 8 September 2025

In a case with far-reaching legal and political implications, the widow of Zambia’s former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu has mounted a constitutional challenge against the Zambian government’s attempt to repatriate his body for a state funeral. The matter is before the Pretoria High Court in South Africa, where the late president died on 5 June.

Though Ms. Esther Lungu, the widow of the late president, was absent from the courtroom, her presence was felt in every submission made by her legal counsel. Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, representing the Lungu family, anchored his arguments on one principle: a corpse is not property, and cannot be subject to a contract.

“You don’t contract over human remains,” Ngcukaitobi told the bench. “A corpse is dead, it’s not a property. It cannot be contracted over.” This principle, he explained, is not just rooted in moral sentiment, but firmly established in Roman Dutch law, South Africa’s legal foundation, which classifies a corpse as res extra commercium — a thing outside commercial transaction.

The dispute arises from a full bench ruling by the Gauteng High Court, which found in favour of the Zambian government, affirming its right to repatriate Lungu’s remains for a state funeral. The court also found that a binding agreement existed between the Lungu family and the government, outlining the late president’s final resting place.

But counsel for the family has now filed for Leave to Appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal, challenging the High Court’s findings. Their argument is straightforward: burial decisions are governed not by contract, but by succession law, which places authority in the hands of the widow.

“Basically, the law is this. You don’t contract over human remains,” Ngcukaitobi reiterated in court. “A corpse is dead. It’s not property. It cannot be contracted over. What you do is follow the law of succession. If there’s a will, you follow the will. If there’s no will, the law of intestate succession applies. So, if you are dead and you are a husband, your remaining wife takes the decision. If the wife is also deceased or incapable of taking the decision, the children take the decision. If the children are incapable, the parents take the decision. If the parents are incapable, your siblings take the decision.”

This legal reasoning formed the crux of the family’s case. Under South African law, the right to determine burial lies with the closest surviving relatives in a defined hierarchy, beginning with the spouse.

Acting Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba asked what should happen in a case where the wife and children do not agree, and the deceased died intestate. Ngcukaitobi replied, “Yes, the wife then takes the decision because it’s the first thing. It’s the heir. So the executor will generally follow the will, but the heir will then make a decision because that’s the surviving spouse.”

Judge Ledwaba challenged this interpretation further, questioning how the law would apply in cases involving multiple spouses or children from different relationships. “But in the case of intestate succession,” he said, “the wife is an intestate heir and the children also, depending on the value of the estate. And now, the wife  you may find that it’s a case where the husband may be married to another person and has children with the other spouses. Is it also your submission that they cannot negotiate about the burial if they don’t agree?”

Ngcukaitobi responded, “No, they obviously can negotiate and reach a consensus. But that means they have reached a consensus on what should happen. What is prohibited is contracting over a corpse.”

This exchange underscored the family’s broader argument  that South African constitutional and succession law overrides any extra-legal or political agreement, especially one signed under foreign pressure or outside proper legal channels. He also reminded the court that the South African Constitution applies to all persons within the republic, regardless of nationality, citing precedents like Mohammed v Minister of Defence.

The Zambian government continues to argue that it had reached a valid agreement with the family, and that state protocol entitles the late president to be buried in Zambia. But the family has countered that Zambia has no binding law governing the burial of former heads of state, and that any such arrangements are traditional — not legal — and must be accepted, not enforced.

Ngcukaitobi addressed this directly: “Zambia has no binding statute requiring state funerals for former presidents. At best, it’s a gentleman’s agreement — one which can be accepted or declined. And Ms. Lungu has declined.”

Legal experts say the case could set a precedent for how similar cross-border disputes are resolved when state demands clash with personal and family rights. The principle of lex loci, or “law of the place,” is central here , meaning the law governing the dispute is that of the country where the death occurred. Since Lungu died in South Africa, it is that country’s legal framework that applies.

For now, judgment has been reserved. President Lungu’s body remains in Johannesburg caught between the ceremonial machinery of Lusaka and the personal, constitutional claim of his widow. What the court decides may shape how nations, families, and laws approach one of the most human of questions: who has the final say in death  the state, or the spouse?

This is a developing story.