A MINING metallurgist says gold processing should be left to locals for the country to derive benefits from the high-value mineral.
ZCCM-Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH) has been given the mandate to regulate the mining, processing and refining of gold, which is sold to the Bank of Zambia (BoZ).
In 2020, ZCCM-IH set up Zambia Gold Company Limited (ZGCL) to formalise and grow the gold sub-sector.
As at December 2021, ZGCL sold 283 kilogrammes of gold worth K345 million to BoZ.
Morrison Songwe, who is Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) acting director general, said the country is capable of setting up its own refinery for gold processing