Over Two hundred and eighty people in Mwinilunga district in Northwestern province have petitioned President Hakainde Hichilema to hastily reopen Kasenseli Gold mine.

The residents have also petitioned the head of state to remove the Zambia National Service (ZNS) officers manning the mine alleging continued illegal mining activities.

Speaking after delivering the petition with 285 signatures, to Mwinilunga District Commissioner Harrison Kamuna, group representative Kafumbe Sameta said the delayed reopening of the mine has negatively affected the economy of the district.

Mr. Sameta said people in the district had hoped that the discovery and subsequent reopening of Kasenseli Gold mine would improve people’s livelihoods but unfortunately people have continued suffering as the mine remains closed.

“People in Mwinilunga have continued crying and suffering as they feel neglected at the time when there are economic hardships which have become worse,” he said.

He said following the advice from the government, people in the area proceeded to form cooperatives through which they would mine the minerals and sell to ZCCM-IH  but this has not materialized leaving people in the area with unanswered questions.

Mr. Sameta added that people in the district want the operations of the mine to be given to them through cooperatives so that they can be empowered just like cooperatives from other parts of the country with gold mines.

“The people of Mwinilunga want the mine to be opened as soon as possible as it will make them feel part and parcel to the new dawn government as it is happening in other parts of the country where they have gold deposits” said Mr. Sameta.

He explained that it is critical that the mine is opened as it will create employment opportunities for the many unemployed youths, attract various investments and broaden the revenue base for the local authority thereby improving service delivery.

Mr. Sameta has since appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to consider this as a matter of urgency as people in the area have now lost hope and patience over the delays to reopen the mine.

President Hakainde Hichilema held separate bilateral meetings with Mr. Ajay Banga, the President of the World Bank, and Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The discussions primarily focused on expediting and comprehensively concluding the remaining aspects of Zambia’s debt restructuring program.

During the meetings, President Hichilema expressed gratitude to both institutions for their efforts in the debt restructuring process and their continued support toward Zambia’s budget. The President underscored the urgency of promptly resolving the outstanding issues to prevent economic uncertainties, highlighting Zambia’s commitment in fulfilling its obligations throughout the restructuring.

President Hichilema emphasized that any delays in Zambia’s case could potentially impact other nations considering similar debt restructuring frameworks. He commended the World Bank and the IMF for their understanding of the importance of expediting the process, enabling Zambia to move forward with the full implementation of impactful projects in energy, infrastructure, mining, and agriculture.

The Zambian President particularly emphasized the significance of quickly boosting agricultural production through mechanization and irrigation. This strategic move is seen as a priority for achieving quick wins in the economic recovery process, contributing to the rebuilding of the Zambian economy.

As Zambia continues its engagement with international financial institutions, President Hichilema reiterated his administration’s commitment to transparent governance, economic reforms, and sustainable development. The bilateral meetings are part of the President’s ongoing efforts to secure support for Zambia’s economic recovery and growth agenda.

A scam has  been unearthed in Northern where some cooperatives  are getting farming inputs on behalf of farmers are under declaring the number of packs to their groups.

Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Bernard Mpundu says government has received reports that the cooperatives are stealing inputs from farmers.

He said this has resulted in cases of farmers sharing the small packs of inputs among themselves.

 Mr Mpundu has since directed District Commissioners in the province to go on the ground and verify the packs that all cooperatives have received during this year’s farming season against what has been declared.

He said government will not spare any cooperative leader who would be found to have stolen inputs meant for farmers.

Mr Mpundu said this when he addressed the community in Chilubi district.

Meanwhile, Mr Mpundu has expressed worry about the slow rate at which farmers in Chilubi are redeeming farming inputs.

He explained that as of last week, only nine percent of farmers in the district had redeemed their inputs.

Mr Mpundu has since urged farmers to quickly redeem their inputs so that they can start planting.

He has also warned farmers against selling their inputs saying anyone who will be found doing so would be blacklisted from the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).

And Chilubi District Commissioner, Risto Mushembe emphasized the need for farming inputs to be given to the right people.

Mr Mushembe said government has not reduced the number of packs that are given to farmers but it was unscrupulous people who were declaring fewer packs to their members.