Zambian Govt revokes 150 mining licences

THE Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development has with immediate effect revoked 150 large-scale mining licences.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Victor Mutambo said the licences were revoked due to the mine owners’ failure to engage in any form of active mining and exploration activities.

Dr Mutambo said in an interview that, lack of active mining by licence holders had remained a serious challenge to the Mines ministry.

“We have revoked quite a good number of large-scale mining licences, the main reason for doing this is because licence owners  have not been engaging themselves in active mining which has remained a serious challenge to the ministry.’’ he said.
Dr Mutambo pointed out that the ministry did not revoke any small-scale licences.

“We did not cancel any licences belonging to small-scale miners, this is because they are faced with a number of challenges which in the end, turned out to be a factor that prolongs graduation into active mining, ” he said.

He said the ministry was working on modalities that would enhance small-scale mining in the country and that, Government was  aware  of all the challenges the sector was facing.