1 July 2009
SOME gemstones miners on the Copperbelt have lost huge sums of money due to alleged wrong geological survey data they got over the mining areas which the Government allocated to them.
Emerald and Semi-precious Stones Miners Association of Zambia (ESMAS) general secretary, Victor Kalesha said in an interview in Ndola that the miners had invested heavily in mining areas that had little quantities of gemstones.
This was contrary to the data they were given which suggested that the areas had huge deposits of gemstones lying near the ground surface.
Mr Kalesha said the miners did not realise any significant profits because the availability of the stones in those areas did not tally with the geological survey data they were given.
He said currently, few of the local gemstone miners were mining, noting that most of them had given up business due to non-availability of the precious stones in their mining areas.
He said other miners did not have necessary mining equipment to exhume the gemstones, which are deep in the ground.
Mr Kalesha said on the Copperbelt, there were 500 gemstone mining licence holders but only two miners were actively operational. Foreigners owned the two operational mines.
He named the two operating companies as Grizzly and Kagem Mining companies.
ZANIS
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