KABUSWE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY…govt has not been very truthful about Seseli mining operation – Hon. Mundubile

KABUSWE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

…govt has not been very truthful about Seseli mining operation – Hon. Mundubile

By Thomas Ngala

I am surprised that mines minister, Paul Kabuswe, seems to have been blaming the victims who died in that mine accident for not observing safety standards and measures, says Mporokoso PF member of parliament Brian Mundubile.

He told The Mast yesterday that what is happening at Seseli in Chingola district of the Copperbelt Province is because government has not been very truthful about that particular mining operation.

“When the members of parliament have gone to the Copperbelt they discover that mining operation under Seseli. They question about this particular operation, they ask who the owners were. The members of parliament could not be given an answer,” he recalled.

“Everybody seemed to have been saying ‘look, if you comment about this mining operation you will actually be fired’. Those are the people that we found at KCM. The people we found at KCM found it very difficult to give any information regarding this mine. They were saying ‘if you comment on this mine you will be fired because it belongs to the top leadership within the UPND’.”

Mundubile said the mining activities around Seseli mines were being done in a manner that did not follow the laid down rules as regard to safety and other rules within the mining department.

He charged that the secretive and blurry information surrounding Seseli mines would have resulted in very poor safety standards.

“I think it (secretive and blurry information) has made it very difficult even for the mining department to inspect the mine…the issue of Seseli mine keeps on coming up [in parliament] every week and we could not get answers from anybody,” he said. “So what we have said is that because of illegalities, the illegal mining activities by the senior UPND officials, they are actually getting away with it…however, it is very unfortunate that people perished in that mine accident and that the Minister of Mines must take full responsibility for not having supervised the mining activities fully.”

And Mundubile wondered what the manadate of the safety department was.

“The mines department has a very equipped mines and safety department which looks at the safety of the mine… A citizen can only go so far in ensuring their safety while mining. It is the responsibility of the safety department to ensure that the safety measures being employed are up to standard. Therefore, it is unfortunate when I listen to a comment from the mines minister, he seemed to have been blaming it on the people that perished in that particular accident,” he said, “He should take responsibility as government that they fail to inspect these mines and ensure that the mining was being done within the prescribed rules and standards…But if you remember, Senseli mining is a mine that we have questioned over a period of time.”

By press time rescue teams were unable to locate dozens of ‘illegal miners’ believed to be trapped after a mudslide at an open cast copper mine on Friday.

The accident occurred after heavy rains.

Rescue teams have been pumping water from the underground pits at the Seseli mine in Chingola but were yet to make contact with the miners.

(Credit: The Mast)