IT is becoming increasingly worrying that illegal mining continues to thrive in the country at the expense of economic growth.
This trend undermines formal mining activities thereby reducing the much-needed investor confidence and ultimately limiting Government revenue.
Additionally, governance gaps including regulatory weaknesses are among some of the key drivers promoting illegal mining.
This is in view of inadequate enforcement, corruption and weak institutional frameworks which has continued to contribute to the persistence of illegal mining activities.
It is worth noting that illegal mining involves extracting activities in which miners without licences have no concessions of their own, and always operate overwhelmingly within businesses of large-scale mining companies including areas that are prohibited for all kinds of mining activities.
The absence of Environmental Impact Assessments for these mining sites has contributed to individuals engaged in illegal mining not fully comprehending the hazards they were exposing themselves to.
Thus, the call by the Save Environment and People Agency (SEPA) for concerted efforts in ending rampant illegal mining in the country cannot be overemphasised as this activity is proving to be a menace to the lives of young people in the respective communities with minerals.
What is more saddening is that the men in uniform who are supposed to provide the much-needed security are in the forefront of encouraging this illegal activity provided the miner coughs up a few Kwacha.
Away from the rampant corruption involved, the country continues to lose these productive young men who lose their lives as they carry out these dealings in unsafe environments and in most cases mine curves bury them alive.
The consequences of the tragic incidents are immeasurable as they left behind grieving families who were burdened with suffering.
There is need for enhanced regulation and enforcement including institutional capacity building to help curtail illegal mining activities and promote responsible mining practices.
Strengthening of the governance frameworks and engagement of local communities by fostering partnerships with international stakeholders will be vital for sustainable economic growth and development.
The relevant ministry working closely with the law enforcement agencies needs to enhance security at these mining areas and ensure safety and order are upheld.
One of the ways to help end illegal mining and the rampant corruption between the police and communities engaged in mining will be for the government to expedite the issuance of mining licences because the high prices of these minerals is too enticing for them to stop this practice.
It is hoped that issuing mining licences can help bring sanity in the illegal mining industry and help save lives and bring to book culprits driving this sector including foreigners who enter the country illegally and engage in this business.
Further delays in the issuance of mining rights will see this problem continue because the lure of quick financial gains has led to the proliferation of illegal mining operations, with widespread negative implications on the country’s needed revenue.
There is need for various stakeholders to realise that the prevalence of illegal mining activities poses serious environmental, social, and economic risks and ultimately hampering sustainable development goals.
There is a need to identify and address governance gaps and regulatory weaknesses that enable the persistence of illegal mining practices.