The Chizela Royal Establishment in Mufumbwe District, […]

The Chizela Royal Establishment in Mufumbwe District, North-Western Province, Zambia, has voiced its dissatisfaction with the recent allocation of tenements at the Kikonge gold mining site. The Royal Establishment, which represents local interests in the area, claims that the process has not adequately prioritized local cooperatives, despite earlier assurances from authorities.

 In an interview with the Zambian Business Times (ZBT), Chrispine Mpanga, Secretary to Chief Chizela, acknowledged the government’s efforts to formalize the Kikonge mine and issue artisanal mining licenses, particularly through the Ministry of Mines. “We are grateful to the government, through the President, for directing the Ministry of Mines to formalize the Kikonge gold mine,” Mpanga stated. “The Ministry did well by issuing artisanal mining licenses to our people, mainly benefiting cooperatives. Out of over 800 cooperatives countrywide, only 54 from Mufumbwe received licenses.”

However, Mpanga expressed concern that when it came to the allocation of tenements, local cooperatives from Mufumbwe, especially those within the Kikonge area, were overlooked in favor of cooperatives from other regions. “We were told by ZCCM-IH and the Ministry of Mines that our chiefdom would be considered first, to allow local cooperatives to receive tenements before allocations were opened to others. Unfortunately, this has not happened,” he said.

 Mpanga emphasized that the Royal Establishment has been cooperative throughout the process and has not objected to cooperatives from other parts of Zambia receiving licenses. “We simply requested that the allocation process begin with local cooperatives, especially those in Kikonge who have not yet been allocated tenements. These groups have repeatedly approached Chief Chizela to express their frustration.”

He also noted that the Royal Establishment had submitted a list of local cooperatives to the provincial administration for consideration, but their appeals appear to have been disregarded. Furthermore, Mpanga appealed that the tenement allocation process should be terminated or suspended.

“This could provide an opportunity to address the issues we have raised and ensure a fair and transparent allocation process moving forward.” The Chizela Royal Establishment is calling on the relevant authorities to prioritize local stakeholders in the allocation of mining tenements, arguing that such an approach would foster goodwill and sustainable development within the host community.