By MAYA NTANDA  –
A COMBINED team of Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) officers and State police yesterday raided the slug dump commonly referred to as ‘black mountain’ in Kitwe’s Wusakile Township to establish how much tax Government was losing due to illegal mining there.
Controversy has surrounded the ownership of the dump, which is home to illegal miners, known as ‘Jerabos’.
ZRA corporate communications manager, Mumbuna Kufekisa led mobile compliance patrol unit officers in the company of police officers from Kamfinsa mobile unit, who have been manning the area since April.
Mr Kufekisa said the owners of the ‘black mountain’ should start paying mineral royalty tax to the Government as required of all mining industries.
He said according to records at the Mines and Safety Department, the slug dump belonged to Nkana Alloy Smelting Company and that it was therefore cardinal that the firm started paying tax to the Government.
“We are aware of the mining activities taking place at this slug dump and we want the owners to start paying mineral royalty tax which is six per cent of what they produce from here,” he said.
He appealed to the owners of the dump to formalise their operations for ZRA to start collecting tax from the mining activities being conducted at the site.
But  Wusakile Ward councillor Davies Simunyola, who was found at the site, said the slug dump belonged to the youths of Wusakile.
Mr Simunyola said no foreign investor would be allowed to conduct mining activities at the site apart from the local people.