KAMFINSA member of parliament Christopher Kang’ombe has called for stronger government intervention to ensure that gold mining benefits Zambians directly.
Kang’ombe, who is also a 2026 presidential hopeful, proposed that the Zambia Gold Company (ZGC), a government-owned entity, should maintain its role as the sole buyer of gold from artisanal miners and sell the gold exclusively to the Bank of Zambia.
He argues this approach will help increase national reserves, which currently stand at just 2.8 metric tonnes, valued at approximately US$300 million.
“I make no apology, gold mining should be for Zambians only,” Kang’ombe declared.
While ruling out nationalisation of existing large-scale mining operations, Kang’ombe emphasised that future mining licenses must guarantee significant ownership and decision-making power for Zambians once government completes its geological mapping exercise.
He challenged financial experts and investors to develop local funding models to enable Zambians to own and run new mining ventures, rather than allowing foreign companies to dominate the sector.
By George Musonda
Kalemba August 10, 2025
