Some Bemba Chiefs in Muchinga Province have denounced illegal gold mining activities in Mpika and Shiwangandu Districts.
Speaking at a press briefing at his Palace, Senior Chief Nkula has charged that a company called Geijam Minerals Limited is the only licensed firm to extract the precious mineral unlike the criminality being witnessed.
An unhappy Chief Nkula adds by accusing his counterpart Chief Chikwanda and some named senior government officials of allegedly profiting from the gold.
He says to avoid the illegality, communities must form cooperatives that will have a legal backing, to repel outsiders from dominating the mineral that is domiciled on their ancestral land.
The apparent emergency meeting called by Senior Chief Nkula was attended by, Chief Mukwikile, Chief Luchembe and Chief Mubanga, while the accused Chief Chikwanda did not attend despite having been requested to face his fellow traditional leaders over the allegations leveled against him.
The disputed gold rush is around Kanyelele area at the boundary of Mpika and Shiwangandu Districts in Muchinga Province.
By Cecilia Kayaya Mporokoso