597 Views MUFUMBWE, August 1, 2026 – An emotional Brian Mundubile began his address at the Mufumbwe campaign rally on Saturday by asking thousands of supporters to observe a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives during the government’s operation to remove illegal miners from Mufumbwe Gold Mine. Addressing what was […]

597 Views

MUFUMBWE, August 1, 2026 – An emotional Brian Mundubile began his address at the Mufumbwe campaign rally on Saturday by asking thousands of supporters to observe a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives during the government’s operation to remove illegal miners from Mufumbwe Gold Mine.

Addressing what was one of the final rallies of his North-Western Province campaign tour, the NRP-UP presidential candidate said the province was still mourning the loss of its people.

“We are still in mourning here. A number of our people died here. They told me the number was small, but even one life for us is a big loss. If we had a responsible government, this should have been avoided,” Mundubile told the crowd before requesting a minute of silence.

The gathering fell silent as supporters honoured those who died during the security operation that has remained one of the most debated events in the province.

Mundubile said time had not allowed him to visit every district in North-Western Province, including Zambezi, Manyinga, Chavuma and Kabompo, but assured residents that they remained part of his campaign message.

“This is our last day in North-Western Province. We may not have reached all of you physically, but we are together,” he said.

Turning to his mining policy, Mundubile declared that the province’s vast gold deposits were a blessing meant to uplift local communities rather than leave them in poverty.

“That gold was put there by God to help you,” he said. “The youths discovered the gold, but instead of creating jobs for them, the government sent soldiers.”

In one of the loudest applauded moments of the rally, Mundubile pledged that an NRP-UP government would return mining opportunities at Mufumbwe to local people.

“That mine we are giving it back to you. No one will come with a gun to disturb you. I am saying it publicly here in broad daylight,” he declared as supporters erupted in cheers.

He said his administration would formalise artisanal mining instead of criminalising it by providing training in safe mining methods, supplying equipment and facilitating access to finance.

“We shall formalise the informal sector so that you are empowered. We shall train you, provide equipment and help you mine safely,” he said.

Mundubile added that while investors would continue to be welcome in Zambia, local communities must become meaningful beneficiaries of the country’s mineral wealth.

“We respect investors, but we want a win-win situation. Every investment must benefit the local people,” he said.

The opposition leader also promised to overhaul the allocation of mining licences, arguing that the current system had concentrated opportunities in the hands of a few individuals.

“We will start afresh so that the allocation of mining areas is done properly. We shall ensure that local people, together with other Zambians, have licences and are given an opportunity,” he said.

Without naming the individual, Mundubile alleged that one influential person currently controls about 800 mining licences.

“I know of one leader who has 800 licences. That is selfishness. He went around surveying where the gold is,” Mundubile claimed.

“I have bad news for him. We will cancel those licences and give opportunities to the people of Zambia.”

He further alleged that the holder of the licences was reserving gold-rich areas for associates while communities living in those regions remained excluded from the country’s mineral wealth.

“There are other gold-rich areas apart from Mufumbwe, and they are in the report this person is keeping. We shall distribute those licences fairly so that we begin producing Zambian millionaires from these communities.”

Mundubile said North-Western Province had the potential to produce thousands of successful entrepreneurs if ordinary citizens were allowed to participate in the mining sector.

“The young millionaires of Zambia are supposed to come from here, not from one greedy individual who wants to keep opportunities for himself, his friends and his family,” he said.

As he concluded his address, Mundubile urged residents to turn out in large numbers on election day.

“Your troubles are over. Make sure you wake up early and cast your vote,” he told the cheering crowd.

Mining reform has become one of the central pillars of the NRP-UP campaign in North-Western Province, with Mundubile repeatedly promising to increase local participation in the mining industry while ensuring communities benefit directly from the province’s abundant natural resources if elected in the August 13 General Election.