Mumbwa Identified as Key to Growing Zambia’s Gold Reserves as Kabeta Cracks Down on Smuggling
Mines Permanent Secretary, Barnaby Kabeta, addressed hundreds of miners in Nangoma constituency, who were impacted by the closure of Lwili Mine due to safety concerns and illegal operations.
The mine was shut down two weeks ago after the Zambian National Service was deployed to restore order following a rise in fatalities and other issues.
In his address, Kabeta assured the affected miners that operations at Lwili Mine would resume soon. “The Nangoma mine area will reopen on Friday. We need to know who is entering the mine, as we currently lack proper data on who is involved in mining,” he said.
To improve oversight, the government has purchased a processing plant to be installed in the area. This facility will monitor the retail value chain of gold extracted from the mines, helping to prevent smuggling.
Kabeta emphasized that the new measures will tackle gold smuggling from Mumbwa and other regions. He also revealed that the Ministry of Mines has identified Mumbwa district in Central Province as a key area for boosting Zambia’s gold reserves.
“Mumbwa is part of the government’s plan to build our gold reserves at the central bank. Additionally, royalty taxes will be collected from processing plants, not cooperatives,” Kabeta explained.
He concluded by stating that the government’s goal is to regulate mining activities while ensuring they contribute to the nation’s economic growth.
