By NAMUTENGA SAKAPILA
Women of Zimba cooperative in Mufulira have said the luck of weigh bridges has hindered progress in their silica mining
The women raised a concerned on the suspicious way the middle men are handling weighing and payment of their silica loads.
Josephine Bwalya a representative for women in Silica mining said the women relay on the tonnage that they are told by the middle men that take the silica to the mines.
Ms Bwalya said there is no proper documentation of the tonnage, making cheating possible.
She said that the women only get K70 per ton of silica stones.
And Emeralds and Semi-precious Stone Association of Zambia president Victor Kaleshi said he is saddened by this development.
Mr Kaleshi said it has come to light that the middlemen who supply the silica to the mines get K275 per ton and only per the miners K70 per ton.
He said the association is working tirelessly with line stakeholders to see to it that the middlemen are removed and the miner’s sale their stones directly to the mines.
Mr Kaleshi assured the women that talks with the MP and Mayor to find a way are still going on.
