AIPAC Backs HH Crackdown, Warns of Mining Mafias and Land Grabs
The Acton Institute for Policy Analysis Centre (AIPAC) has thrown its weight behind President Hakainde Hichilema’s crackdown on illegal mining and land allocation, but warned that entrenched networks of “mining mafias” and corrupt land dealers are undermining Zambia’s stability.
In a statement issued yesterday, AIPAC Executive Director Solomon Ngoma said the government must act firmly, particularly on the Copperbelt, where illegal mining and land invasions have spiraled out of control.
“Illegal mining undermines the rule of law, promotes tax evasion, and robs the state of much-needed revenue for development,” Ngoma said. “We cannot develop without collecting taxes from mines.”
AIPAC has recommended closer collaboration between the Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Home Affairs, and security agencies to ensure that both local and foreign illegal miners face arrest and prosecution. The watchdog group also urged young Zambians eager to enter the mining sector to follow proper procedures instead of joining illegal operations.
The think tank further raised the alarm on illegal land allocation in Kitwe, where reports indicate that some council officials, in collusion with suspected political cadres, have been grabbing titled farmland and reallocating it unlawfully.
“This practice cannot be tolerated,” Ngoma stressed, adding that failure to act risks fueling social unrest ahead of the 2026 general elections.
©️ KUMWESU | September 23, 2025