Ministry aware of the illegal mining of Sugilite, says Minister
Mines and Minerals Development Minister Paul Kabuswe
Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe says the ministry is aware of the illegal mining of Sugilite in Chembe District of Luapula Province.
Kabuswe says in October, 2020 following an application for a Large – Scale Exploration License by Bayan Construction Limited for Iron, Ore and Manganese in the Province, the ministry through the mining cadastre department granted an exploration license number 27282- HQ- LEL over an area of 20,747.82 hectors of land.
The license was granted for the period of four (4) years effective the 20th October, 2020 to October 19th 2024.
During the period of exploration for Iron, Ore and Manganese, the company has obtained a decision letter for environmental project brief from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and submitted an Environmental Development of a Large- scale management mining in line with conditions stipulated under the license.
He says the ministry through the geological survey department conducted a verification inspection from 10th to 25th February, 2022 to ascertain the occurrence of Sugilite.
Kabuswe says the findings revealed that during the exploration by Bayan Construction, there were illegal mining activities if Manganese by surrounding communities which exposed Sugilite Mineralization.
He says to prevent the illegal exploration of the mineral, the ministry and Bayan Construction through the Luapula Provincial Administration facilitated the deployment of Zambia Police Service to provide security at the mine.
Kabuswe says following the spate of illegal mining activities within the exploration license area for Bayan Construction Limited, the company commenced court action against the illegal mining activities.
He says the company has since been granted order to prevent illegal mining activities within its license area.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON THE ALLEGED ILLEGAL MINING OF SUGILITE IN CHEMBE DISTRICT, LUAPULA PROVINCE
DELIVERED BY
HONORABLE PAUL CHANDA KABUSWE MP,
MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT
ON FRIDAY, 3RD MARCH, 2023
MADAM SPEAKER
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE AND THE NATION AT LARGE ON THE ALLEGED ILLEGAL MINING OF SUGILITE IN CHEMBE DISTRICT, LUAPULA PROVINCE. THIS MINISTERIAL STATEMENT IS BEING DELIVERED ARISING FROM THE DIRECTIVE BY THE HONOURABLE MADAM SPEAKER FOLLOWING HONOURABLE MUNIR ZULU, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR LUMEZI AND HONOURABLE RONALD CHITOTELA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR PAMBASHE CONSTITUENCY RESPECTIVELY WHO ROSE ON A MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE DIRECTED AT THE MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT.
MADAM SPEAKER,
ALLOW ME IN THE FIRST PLACE TO INFORM THE HOUSE THAT SUGILITE IS TYPICALLY A GEM TYPE OF MANGANESE WHICH OCCURS, AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH MANGANESE DEPOSITS. IT HAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE PURPLE-VIOLET COLOR DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MANGANESE, AND IS POPULARLY USED IN JEWELLERY. I THEREFORE, WISH TO CONFIRM TO THE HOUSE THAT THE MINISTRY IS AWARE OF THE ILLEGAL MINING OF SUGILITE IN CHEMBE DISTRICT OF LUAPULA PROVINCE.
MADAM SPEAKER
IN OCTOBER, 2020, FOLLOWING AN APPLICATION FOR A LARGE-SCALE EXPLORATION LICENSE BY BAYAN CONSTRUCTION LIMITED FOR IRON ORE AND MANGANESE IN CHEMBE DISTRICT OF LUAPULA PROVINCE, THE MINISTRY THROUGH THE MINING CADASTRE DEPARTMENT GRANTED AN EXPLORATION LICENSE NUMBER 27282-HQ-LEL OVER AN AREA OF 20,747.82 HECTARES OF LAND. THE LICENSE WAS GRANTED FOR A PERIOD OF FOUR (4) YEARS EFFECTIVE THE 20TH OCTOBER, 2020 UP TO 19TH OCTOBER, 2024.
DURING THE PERIOD OF EXPLORATION FOR IRON ORE AND MANGANESE, THE COMPANY HAS OBTAINED A DECISION LETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT BRIEF FROM THE ZAMBIA ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AGENCY (ZEMA) AND SUBMITTED AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO ZEMA FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF A LARGE-SCALE MANGANESE MINE IN LINE WITH CONDITIONS STIPULATED UNDER THE LICENSE.
MADAM SPEAKER
FOLLOWING REVELATIONS OF THE PRESENCE AND ILLEGAL MINING OF SUGILITE WITHIN THE LICENSE AREA FOR BAYAN CONSTRUCTION LIMITED WHICH I ALLUDED TO EARLIER, THE MINISTRY THROUGH THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED A VERIFICATION INSPECTION FROM 10TH TO 15TH FEBRUARY, 2022 TO ASCERTAIN THE OCCURRENCE OF SUGILITE.
THE FINDINGS REVEALED THAT DURING THE EXPLORATION BY BAYAN CONSTRUCTION, THERE WERE ILLEGAL MINING ACTIVITIES OF MANGANESE BY THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES WHICH EXPOSED SUGILITE MINERALIZATION. TO PREVENT THE ILLEGAL EXPLOITATION OF THE MINERAL, THE MINISTRY AND BAYAN CONSTRUCTION THROUGH THE LUAPULA PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION FACILITATED THE DEPLOYMENT OF ZAMBIA POLICE SERVICE TO PROVIDE SECURITY AT THE MINE.
MADAM SPEAKER
I WISH TO INFORM THE HOUSE THAT FOLLOWING THE SPATE OF ILLEGAL MINING ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE EXPLORATION LICENSE AREA FOR BAYAN CONSTRUCTION LIMITED, THE COMPANY COMMENCED COURT ACTION AGAINST THE ILLEGAL MINING ACTIVITIES. THE COMPANY HAS SINCE BEEN GRANTED RESTRAINING ORDER TO PREVENT ILLEGAL MINING ACTIVITIES WITHIN ITS LICENSE AREA.
MADAM SPEAKER
ALLOW ME TO REITERATE THAT THE MINISTRY OF MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT HAS CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF SUGILITE WITHIN THE LICENSE AREA OF BAYAN CONSTRUCTION LIMITED IN CHEMBE DISTRICT.
MADAM SPEAKER,
VARIOUS REFORMS ARE ALSO BEING UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE MINING SECTOR IS REVITALISED THROUGH THE ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW NATIONAL MINERAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT POLICY WHICH WAS LAUNCHED LAST YEAR TO FAST-TRACK INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY FOR THE MINING SECTOR IN RESPECT OF MINERALS SUCH AS COPPER AND OTHER STRATEGIC MINERALS SUCH AS NICKEL, COBALT, LITHIUM AND MANGANESE.
FURTHER, MY MINISTRY IS UNDERTAKING INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS WHICH WILL RESULT IN THE CREATION OF THE MINERALS REGULATORY COMMISSION TO PROPERLY REGULATE THE EXPLOITATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES.
MADAM SPEAKER
THE MINISTRY IS ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF REFINING THE LEGAL FRAMEWORKS SUCH AS THE MINES AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT ACT NO. 11 OF 2015 THAT GOVERN THE MINING SECTOR TO ENSURE THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS CONDUCIVE FOR BOTH FOREIGN AND LOCAL INVESTMENTS. LOCAL INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN PRIORITISED AS THEY ARE CRITICAL IN THE SECTOR TO ENHANCE THE PARTICIPATION OF ZAMBIANS IN THE MINERAL VALUE CHAIN.
AS I CONCLUDE, MADAM SPEAKER, I WISH TO ASSURE THIS AUGUST HOUSE AND THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA AT LARGE THAT GOVERNMENT UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HIS EXCELLENCY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, MR. HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, IS COMMITTED TO ENSURE THAT MINERALS ARE DEVELOPED AND MANAGED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA.
I THANK YOU, MADAM SPEAKER.