•FESTUS Mbewe checks on some of the stone and jewelry he cuts and polishes at his Festus Fine Jewelry and Gems plant in Ndola. Pictures by CHATULA KANGALI.

By CHATULA KANGALI –
GOVERNMENT should localise the sale of anode slime, a by-product of copper which contains silver, gold and other metals needed in the manufacturing of jewellery to support growth of the local industry.
Festus Fine Jewellery and Gems director Festus Mbewe said there was need to localise the sale of anode slime to enhance value addition.
Mr Mbewe said in an interview in Ndola that mining firms were currently refusing to sell the slime to local jewellers.
“We have a challenge in accessing the major raw material in our industry, the entire anode slime, by-product of copper which we can get raw material from is all exported and nothing is left for us to buy,” he said.
Mr Mbewe said there was need for government to put in place a law which would compel mining firms to sale a certain percentage of anode slime to local users.
He said that it was sad that the country was currently losing millions of Kwacha from the importation of jewellery which can locally be made using available resources in the country.
Mr Mbewe said his company and other jewellers had the capacity to separate gold, silver and other metals needed for manufacturing jewellery from anode slime.
He also said the company was scouting for more capital for expansion and acquisition of machinery for advanced and increased production.
Mr Mbewe said that his company currently had the capacity to cut and polish 60 to 70 carats of stones a day.
He also appealed to government to create an enabling environment for local jewellers to access the international market were the demand was high.
The company, which is located on Vitanda Street in Ndola, cuts and polishes gemstones such as emeralds, tourmaline, amethyst, citrines and other semi-precious stones.