Govt Urges Chiefs to Back Mining for Lasting Community Benefits
The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development has called on traditional leaders to adopt a forward-looking approach to mineral exploration in their chiefdoms and avoid imposing excessive consent fees that could deter investment.
Permanent Secretary Dr Hapenga Kabeta told representatives from Planet Gold Zambia that high charges for exploration rights were harmful to national development and discouraged responsible mining companies from investing in rural areas.
“Traditional leaders are key to attracting investment, but unreasonable financial demands hinder exploration and delay progress,” Dr Kabeta said. “We must work together to ensure communities gain sustainable advantages once mining begins.”
Dr Kabeta also cautioned against forming excessively large mining cooperatives in gold-rich areas, pointing out that artisanal mining licences cover just 6.67 hectares. Cooperatives with hundreds of members, he said, make equitable benefit-sharing impractical and often lead to disputes.
“Cooperatives must be small enough to allow meaningful beneficiation for all members,” he stressed. “Too many members dilute benefits and create unnecessary conflicts.”
To address these issues, he directed the Ministry of Mines, working with Planet Gold Zambia, to establish a cap on cooperative membership to ensure fair distribution of proceeds and sustainable operations.
Planet Gold Zambia’s National Project Manager, Abigail Mwailenge, announced that the organisation is designing a financing scheme to help licensed artisanal and small-scale miners access funding for equipment purchases. The initiative is aimed at boosting productivity, formalising the sector, and encouraging environmentally and socially responsible mining practices.
