CANCEL INACTIVE MINING LICENCES – PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU

By AARON CHIYANZO in Chisamba PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has directed the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development to cancel inactive mining licences. President Lungu said he was keeping an eye on the ministry to see to it that dormant licences were dealt with. The President was responding to Chief Chamuka of Chisamba who complained over …

CANCEL INACTIVE MINING LICENCES – PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU
By AARON CHIYANZO in Chisamba PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has directed the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development to cancel inactive mining licences. President Lungu said he was keeping an eye on the ministry to see to it that dormant licences were dealt with. The President was responding to Chief Chamuka of Chisamba who complained over inactive mining licences that were not benefitting the people. This was during a meeting at Chief Chamuka’s palace yesterday. President Lungu assured the traditional leader that Government was in the process of confronting mining licence holders who were not on the ground. “Inactive mining licences, I must mention that I already directed the Ministry of Mines to cancel inactive mining licences. I will be making a follow up but recently I saw some adverts in the papers on the same,” he said. President Lungu commended Chief Chamuka for ensuring that the plight of people in his chiefdom was taken care of. And Chief Chamuka thanked Government for the several empowerment initiatives which he said were uplifting the lives of vulnerable people in Zambia. The traditional leader told the President that his chiefdom had embraced several initiatives to supplement Government efforts in uplifting lives and protecting livelihoods. He said over 2, 000 vulnerable women in the chiefdom had been empowered with land. Chief Chamuka called on Government to harmonise laws with regard to child protection. President Lungu also held a meeting with Chiefs Shakumbila, Chitanda, Chikwanda, Nyampande and Chieftainess Muwezyo. In the meeting, President Lungu called for unity in the country despite different political affiliations.