Mines Are National Assets That Must Benefit Zambians — Banda

By: Ennety Munshya

Presidential hopeful and former ZCCM-IH Board Chairperson, Dolika Banda, says Zambia must begin to treat its mines as national assets that belong to the Zambian people.

Speaking on the Friday edition of Radio Phoenix’s “Let the People Talk” programme, Banda observed that the biggest challenge facing the country’s mining sector is the lack of capacity and financial resources to fully exploit its mineral wealth.

“It is a national asset, it is in Zambian soil. It belongs to the Zambian people. We do not have the financial wherewithal to be able to take those assets out of the ground and make them marketable,” she said.

Banda lamented Zambia’s limited participation and control in the sector, stressing the need for citizens to play a leading role in the ownership and management of mines. She further underscored the importance of negotiating firmly with mining companies to ensure that Zambians are the true beneficiaries of the country’s resources.

“Zambia is so attractive now. Everybody wants to come and invest here. But why should we waive certain taxes? It is like a bride who is so attractive. More men want to marry her, so you raise the bar in terms of how much you are going to pay, and who will pay?” she explained.

Banda argued that there are multiple ways of extracting value from mining investors beyond taxation. She recalled the Kaunda era, when taxes were relatively low but mining companies were still compelled to build schools, clinics, and roads.

She also emphasised the importance of adhering to development agreements, which she said are currently being poorly implemented.

However, Banda’s political journey has not been without setbacks. Recently, her anticipated unveiling as president of the People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) fell through after last-minute disagreements with party leader Andyford Banda. The announcement was expected at PAC’s second convention, but Dolika was absent from the panel, and Andyford Banda was instead re-elected unopposed across all ten provinces.

Explaining the fallout, Andyford Banda said the disagreements were not financial but arose from irreconcilable differences in political approach and party-building strategies. While acknowledging Dolika’s extensive banking background, he pointed to his own decade-long political experience as a source of contrasting perspectives.