By ALICE NACHILEMBE
A staggering K50 million is estimated to be leaving the Nangoma Area of Mumbwa District, Central Province, daily due to unregulated gold mining activities.
This revelation came to light during a community symposium organized by the Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ) in Nangoma.
According to CEJ Head of Research and Studies, Freeman Mubanga, the area hosts 50 unregulated gold grinding machines, each producing one kilogram of gold worth K1 million.
This amounts to a cumulative total of K50 million per day, sold on the local black market. However, Mr. Mubanga emphasized that this gold could fetch three times more in regulated overseas markets, potentially transforming Nangoma and benefiting the country.
The unregulated gold mining activities are not only depriving Zambia of huge revenues but also contributing to illicit financial flows in the extractive industries.
The Constitution of Zambia, under Article 255 (Amendment Act of 2016), emphasizes the protection of the environment and natural resources like gold. However, unregulated gold miners evade responsibility, leaving the government to bear the burden of environmental damage.
Mr. Mubanga stressed the need for cooperation with state organs to maintain a clean, safe, and healthy environment.
Existing laws ensure ecological, sustainable development and responsible use of natural resources. However, the gold mines in Nangoma reveal disturbing scenes of harassment, death, and environmental degradation due to lack of proper regulation.
Senior Headman Kaliindi commended CEJ for their sensitization efforts on environmental, land, and human rights. Head Woman Kapapa of Nangoma stressed the need for further sensitization, especially since mining is a new phenomenon in the area.
The CEJ has called for urgent action to regulate gold mining activities in Nangoma to prevent further environmental damage and revenue loss.
