15 July 2008
Ndola — THE Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) delegation has urged the Government to enact a law for traditional rulers to take part in administering mine licences to mining companies.
Nigerian Parliamentarian, Hycienth Nyakuma, who was in the delegation, said in Ndola yesterday that it was important to put in place legislation for traditional rulers to have authority when giving investors mining rights in areas that fell under their jurisdiction.
Mr Nyakuma said this when the team paid called on Copperbelt Deputy Permanent Secretary, Christopher Mutembo, in Ndola yesterday.
"Interventions should be put in place to make provisions for chiefs to have some rights over the mines that fall in their respective areas so that they are involved when licences are being given to potential investors," he said.
Mr Nyakuma said if that was done, local people would benefit more from the mines in Zambia.
The team had parliamentarians from South Africa, England, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia.
Meanwhile Kantanshi member of Parliament, Yamfwa Mukanga, said the team of Commonwealth parliamentarians was on the Copperbelt to tour Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) and the mines in Chambishi.
More than 30 visiting parliamentarians are on a tour of the mines to familiarise themselves with the way mines in Zambia were run.
Mr Mutembo said a lot of investors were attracted to Zambia because there was peace and good governance in the country.
He said the currency was stabilising and that Zambians were peaceful people most foreign investors found easy to work with.
And CPA chairman, Mninwa Mahlangu, said in Solwezi that the multi-million dollar Lumwana project in North-Western Province has proved that Africa can look after itself.
Mr Mahlangu, of South Africa, said yesterday after the tour of Lumwana that the mine gave African spirit because it involved many countries.
"The mine has given a stake to African countries; this gives African spirit and flavour and it shows that as Africans we can look after ourselves," Mr Mahlangu said at Solwezi airport before departure for Livingstone.
Mr Mahlangu, who is chairperson of the national council of provinces in South Africa, also commended Lumwana for ensuring that locals participated in the massive investment.
He said he was impressed that while big companies tended to bring own workforce, Lumwana Mining Company had created a database of the local people who were given top priority for jobs.
Earlier, when the team called on the provincial administration at his office, provincial Minister Kenneth Chipungu appealed to the CPR members to help market the North-Western Province.
Lumwana managing director, Harry Michael, told the CPR team that the project was on record of having 40 nationalities involved in construction.
Mr Michael named some of the African companies involved in the Lumwana project, expected to be completed before the end of the year, as Botswana, Ghana, South African and Tanzania.
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