Minister of Information and Media Cornelius Mweetwa says President Hakainde Hichilema has fulfilled the promises he made to the people of Zambia by stabilizing the mining sector.

Mr Mweetwa said out of 30 percent, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) recorded that 71 percent of   collections for the treasury for 2024 was from the mining sector and that has enabled government to deliver on its electoral commitments in various sectors.

He said players and investors in the sector have confessed that the last three years have been stable, granting the mining sector assurances to invest more and expand their operations.

He said this in an interview in Solwezi shortly after touring the Kansanshi mine led by Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe.

“So, all those quarters and sections of the community, particularly the opposition political party members, uttering negative sentiment about the mines that they are just on paper are being malicious,” he said.

He said Zambian people are able to see how the mining sector is thriving contrary to the assertions that mines have been auctioned to foreigners.

“We now have the social cash transfer programme, cash for work to ensure that no one dies of hunger, we are now able to pay meal allowances for students and pay retirees benefits and delivering farming inputs on time, increment of Constituency Development Fund from K1.6 million in 2022 to K30.6 million in 2025, so all these are as a result of the mining sector investment,” he cited.

Mr Mweetwa said the mines are contributing positively to Zambia’s economic growth citing the revamping of Konkola and Mopani copper as well as the expansion of Kansanshi mine.