KANG’OMBE CALLS FOR ZAMBIAN OWNERSHIP IN MINING AND ENERGY REFORM
By Brian Matambo – Lusaka, Zambia
Kamfinsa Member of Parliament Hon. Christopher Kang’ombe has called for sweeping reforms in Zambia’s mining and energy sectors, insisting that citizens must be placed at the center of ownership and benefit if the country is to move from resource dependency to real economic empowerment. Speaking on EMV Tonight while on a tour of the United States, the youthful legislator laid out a set of proposals that seek to rebalance power away from foreign investors and toward Zambians.
MINING POLICY: PARTICIPATION BEYOND JOBS
Kang’ombe argued that Zambia’s biggest error has been to limit citizen participation in mining to wage employment. “We have been at the tail end,” he said, noting that billion-dollar projects announced by international mining companies rarely translate into broad-based local value. His proposal is that Zambians should take part in exploration—the costly but decisive stage that determines ownership. Exploration data, he said, must be controlled locally, and mining licenses must reflect a stronger citizen stake.
He also pressed for strict rules on value retention. “The question we must ask is how much of every billion dollars pledged will remain in Zambia—in contracts, jobs, and services,” he told the diaspora audience.
GOLD: FOR ZAMBIANS ONLY
On the gold subsector, Kang’ombe was emphatic. “Gold should be mined by Zambians only, and I have no apology to make for that.” He urged government to strengthen the role of the state-owned aggregator, which buys gold at a fair price and delivers it to the Bank of Zambia, while ensuring artisanal miners are equipped with training and tools. Citing Ghana’s policy shift that restricted small-scale gold mining to nationals, he argued that Zambia could generate billions in retained income within a few quarters if a similar model were adopted.
LITHIUM: LESSONS FROM BOLIVIA
Kang’ombe pointed to southern province’s lithium reserves as a game-changer if harnessed through large-scale local participation. Drawing parallels with Bolivia’s state-led lithium model, he urged that Zambia must not repeat the pattern of exporting raw minerals while missing out on the industrial chain. “Farmers in southern province should not only be known for maize and cattle, but also as participants in lithium mining,” he said, proposing financial models that mobilize domestic investors, including the diaspora.
ENERGY: BEYOND SOLAR HYPE
Turning to the energy crisis, Kang’ombe cautioned against what he called “noise” around solar as a national solution. As an electrical engineer, he argued that Zambia needs baseload power—hydro and thermal—to stabilize the grid before solar can meaningfully contribute.
He outlined three priorities:
1. Open Access Guidelines: Government should quickly publish rules that allow private producers to feed into the grid under clear conditions.
2. Hydropower Sites: Potential projects along the Luapula and Lower Zambezi rivers should be reserved for public-private partnerships with ZESCO, to avoid privatization that compromises national security.
3. IPP Transparency: Independent Power Producer contracts must be awarded through open bidding to guarantee efficiency and public trust.
“Industrialization cannot run on household solar panels,” he said, pointing to cement plants that already generate their own coal-fired electricity to keep operations steady.
FUEL SECURITY: NATIONAL SECURITY
Kang’ombe described Zambia’s fuel security as “a matter of national security” and questioned government’s decision to allow a new Chinese-run refinery in Ndola instead of recapitalizing the existing Indeni facility. According to him, a $250–300 million investment could restore Indeni’s efficiency under a joint venture model, preserving national control over strategic assets.
He also warned against over-reliance on the 1,700-kilometer TAZAMA pipeline, urging government to plan a second line to secure supply. “We cannot gamble with fuel,” he stressed. “Every government since President Kaunda has failed to build on the infrastructure he left, and today we are paying the price.”
A BLUEPRINT FOR ECONOMIC SOVEREIGNTY
Kang’ombe’s proposals align on one principle: Zambia must stop outsourcing control of its natural wealth. Whether in gold, lithium, energy, or fuel, he argues, the country must leverage domestic capacity and craft financial models that give citizens—not foreign multinationals—the first claim to national resources.
“If we get the financial modeling right, Zambians will participate at all levels of mining and energy,” he said. “That is how we begin to see the wealth that has always been promised but never delivered.”