THE NEXT FRONTIER OF ZAMBIA’S ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Across Zambia, from Mwinilunga to Rufunsa, from Mumbwa to Lundazi, from Mpika to Mkushi a quiet but powerful situation is unfolding. Numerous groups of unemployed young people, armed with little more than determination and hope, are venturing into remote areas in search of gold and gemstones. In many cases, they are the first to identify mineral potential in places that had long been ignored.
Then, once a significant discovery is made, established interests often emerge claiming ownership through licences that only the holders know how they acquired them. This recurring pattern raises many questions that beg answers.
Our country must ensure that the citizens who take the initial risks and make discoveries are not excluded from the very wealth they help uncover.
To be sure, mining must be conducted legally, safely, and responsibly. Recent accidents and loss of life are a solemn reminder that unregulated mining can have tragic consequences.
Government must recognise a deeper truth that the young people searching for minerals are not enemies of the state. They are citizens seeking opportunity in a difficult economic environment. Their energy, if properly organised and supported, can become a powerful engine of national development.
Rather than relying solely on enforcement, government should adopt a national strategy to formalise and empower artisanal and small-scale miners. This approach has delivered positive results in several African countries and offers a practical path to job creation, increased revenue, and reduced conflict.
Policy Proposals
1. Fast-Track Artisanal Mining Licences for organised youth cooperatives.
2. Community Discovery Recognition so that local discoverers receive legal priority and fair participation.
3. Chiefs and Local Authorities as Partners in organising and monitoring community mining activities.
4. Government Technical Support through geologists, safety inspectors, and environmental officers.
5. A National Artisanal Mining Development Fund to provide equipment, training, and affordable financing.
6. Transparent Digital Licensing so citizens can verify ownership of mining concessions.
7. Mandatory Community Participation where large-scale investors develop areas first identified by local communities.
8. Official Mineral Buying Centres to ensure fair prices and reduce exploitation.
The future of Zambia cannot be built by excluding ordinary citizens from the nation’s natural wealth. Our minerals must become instruments of empowerment, not sources of resentment.
We need an economy where a young Zambian with courage and initiative can move from informal digging to owning a legitimate mining enterprise; where chiefs, government, communities, and investors work together; and where foreign investment complements, rather than displaces, local participation.
This is the kind of inclusive economic transformation that can strengthen Zambia and deepen national unity.
I remain committed to constructive ideas that support national development, broaden economic opportunity, and help build a more just and prosperous Zambia for all.
Our minerals should not only enrich the nation. They must empower the people.
Saviour Chishimba
President, United Progressive People (UPP)