People’s Party’s mining and minerals development policy “Making our mineral wealth work for Zambia and Zambians,” vows Dr. Sebastian C. Kopulande-

Here I present a bold transformational policy statement for the Zambian Mining Industry.

PEOPLE’S PARTY’S MINING AND MINERALS DEVELOPMENT POLICY

“Making Our Mineral Wealth Work for Zambia and Zambians”

By. Dr. Sebastian C. Kopulande
President (People’s Party)
Tuesday 17 February 2026

Fellow Citizens,

Zambia is blessed beyond measure. Beneath our soil lies copper, cobalt, gold, manganese, lithium, uranium, gemstones and rare earth minerals, resources that many nations can only dream of. Yet despite this abundance, our people continue to struggle with unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment. Mining accounts for nearly 80% of Zambia’s export earnings, largely from copper and cobalt.

The current United Party for National Development (UPND) administration has declared that it has transformed the mining sector. Stability has been restored, disputes resolved, investor confidence has been revived. Production targets have been raised ambitiously toward three million tonnes of copper annually. International partnerships have been rekindled. The rhetoric though is one of revival and resurgence.

Yet transformation must not be confused with normalization. A system can be stabilized without being transformed. A structure can be modernized without being transformed and liberated. The fundamental architecture of Zambia’s mineral economy remains largely intact, as it has always been since colonial times. Foreign capital dominates ownership of major mining assets. Export volumes remain the central measure of success. Copper cathodes and concentrates continue to leave our borders in massive quantities, without export taxes; just to go and feed smelters, factories, and industries abroad. While the world industrializes and creates jobs and wealth using Zambian minerals; Zambia simply extracts leaving phenomenal environment degradation behind.

My question to UPND is simply this: what, with your policies and interventions, has changed at the level that truly matters; the level of command, the level of ownership?

The recalibration of the mining tax regime under the present government has been presented as a necessary correction to restore predictability. Mineral royalty payments have been made tax deductible, fiscal terms softened, investors have welcomed the reforms and have been singing praises all the way from Washington DC and other Western Capitals; they come in large delegations all the way to State House in Lusaka to sing praises to our President for having implemented phenomenal mining sector reforms. Yes, capital has responded. Mines expanded production plans. Investor confidence has returned to Zambia!!

Confidence returned. But confidence for whom, we ask?
Fellow citizens, when fiscal concessions are granted without a simultaneous restructuring of ownership, policies on value addition and domestic capital accumulation, stability risks becoming the lubrication of dependence. The system operates more smoothly, yes, but for whose ultimate benefit?
I must state here that a nation does not rise on the basis of production volumes alone; 3 million tonnes per annum, no. A nation only rises on the basis of value that accrues to the nation.

If Zambia produces three million tonnes of copper but continues to export largely unprocessed materials, it merely scales up its role in a global division of labor designed elsewhere to benefit those living elsewhere. Production without industrial integration is simply the intensification of extraction, of expolitation and environmental destruction; it does not lead to economic development, let alone economic sovereignty.

And sadly, fellow Zambians the painful truth is this: for decades, the wealth generated from our minerals has not translated into broad-based prosperity for Zambians. It is therefore, shocking that this generation that should know better, can still continue to sustain an economic structure that has kept its people under delibitating poverty for generations. Yet we are quick to call ourselves Economists, Lawyers, Engineers, Doctors, you name it! But what are you doing to change the fortunes of your fellow Zambians for the better?

Again I ask fellow citizens, is it surprising that today, Visual Capitalist, an online publisher of economic data worldwide, ranks Zambia as the 5th poorest nation in the world with 72 % of the population (15.62 million people) living below US$3.00 a day? Now, remember in 2022, we were ranked 6th in the world with 60% of the population (12 million people) living below US$2.15 a day. And all this with all the minerals beneath our soil at a time when there is a serious push towards a world-wide energy transition which requires the minerals in our country? What our mining sector reforms by the UPND, being applauded everywhere in the West, has done over the past 4 years has been to raise levels of extreme poverty by 12% thereby consigning 3.6 million Zambians to economic exlusion, poverty and despicable living conditions!

Fellow Zambians, we in the People’s Party are determined to change this reality.

Our mining policy is anchored on one fundamental principle:

Our minerals must not just be extracted; they must be processed and transformed, in Zambia, by Zambians, for the benefit of Zambians.

Hence our policies in the Mining sector are anchored on 12 (twelve) key pillars, namely:

Pillar 1. Moving From Extraction to Empowerment
For too long, Zambia has operated as an exporter of raw materials. We dig, we ship, and we import finished products at a premium. This model has entrenched dependence rather than sovereignty.
The People’s Party in Government will:
• Promote Zambian ownership in mining companies operating in the country.
• Introduce graduated tax incentives tied directly to levels of Zambian equity participation.
• Facilitate partnerships between foreign investors and Zambian entrepreneurs in the mining sector.
• Ensure that every new large-scale mining license issued includes a mandatory state equity stake through Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings(ZCCM-IH).

Do not get me wrong fellow Zambians. We do not reject foreign investment; in fact, we encourage it, we welcome foreign investment but we want to see Zambian participation in the mining sector, not just as employees and contractors but as joint owners of mining projects. Investment must empower citizens, it should not replace them.

Pillar 2. Establishment of a Mining Development Bank
My dear Zambians, access to capital remains one of the biggest barriers to Zambian participation in the mining sector and indeed other industrial sectors that require long term investment.
To address this constraint in the mining sector, the People’s Party in Government will establish a Mining Development Bank dedicated to:
i. Financing citizen-owned mining enterprises
ii. Supporting Zambian-owned mineral processing plants and refineries.
iii. Funding gemstone lapidary industries to add value to our gemstones.
iv. Providing affordable credit to small-scale and cooperative miners.

To capitalise the Mining Development Bank, the Government will provide initial capital and will attract private investors to participate. If Zambians cannot access capital, ownership remains an empty slogan. We will turn it into reality.

Pillar 3. Transforming ZCCM-IH into a Sovereign Mining Powerhouse

ZCCM Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) was created to represent the interests of the Zambian people in mining. Yet over the years, it has largely functioned as a passive minority shareholder.

The People’s Party will transform ZCCM-IH into:
• A Strategic Sovereign Mining Investment Vehicle which will invest in the mining sector on behalf of the people of Zambia
• A pathfinder investor in new mining ventures, espeially in rural areas where the resources exist but no mining activities are taking place.
• A vehicle for citizen participation in the mining sector as a means for economic empowerment.
• A catalyst for industrialization and economic diversification

To meet these objectives;
i. We will list viable ZCCM-IH-backed ventures on the stock exchange to allow ordinary Zambians to buy shares.
ii. We will establish a ZCCM-IH Mining Enterprise Fund under the Mining Development Bank to finance youth and women mining enterprises and cooperatives.
iii. We will create a Mining Enterprise Training Institute to equip young Zambians with practical skills in mining to reduce incidences of mine accidents and loss of life.
iv. We will ensure full public disclosure of mining revenues and dividends.
v. We will align with global transparency standards, including the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) best practices.

Through a revitalized ZCCM-IH, Zambia will not merely collect dividends, we will build industries.

Pillar 4. Legalizing the so-called Illegal Miners: Empowering The Jerabos

The People’s Party rejects any approach that criminalises or dehumanises unemployed Zambian youths engaged in informal mining. The challenge of so-called “illegal mining” is fundamentally an economic and structural issue, driven by youth unemployment, poverty, and exclusion from formal mineral ownership. It cannot and must not be addressed through force. When young Zambians enter mine dumps, tailings, and abandoned shafts, they are not declaring war against the State, they are declaring war against hunger and poverty. We categorically reject any approach that treats unemployed youths as enemies of the Republic. Extermination is not policy. Fumigation is not economic reform. Zambia must never criminalise survival. The correct response is not elimination; it is legalisation, formalisation, organisation and empowerment.

My dear so-called illegal miners, my dear Jerabos, listen to me now. We will introduce a national registration and amnesty programme to bring informal miners into the formal economy, followed by the creation of designated Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) zones. Idle mining concessions, tailings dumps and underutilised mineral areas will be restructured into legally recognised cooperative blocks allocated to registered youth and community mining groups. My dear friends, start getting organized amongst yourselves.

We will not leave you to struggle alone, ZCCM Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) will anchor this transformation by establishing a dedicated Small-Scale and Cooperative Mining Division. Through this mechanism, ZCCM-IH will provide geological support, governance training, safety certification, and guaranteed offtake arrangements at transparent prices. This means ZCCM-IH will buy all your production, an initiative which will eliminate exploitative middlemen and curb mineral smuggling. This will ensure that you, the Artizanal miners; you the Jerabos, and you the so-called illegal miners of your own minerals, receive fair value for your production.

In partnership with the Mining Development Bank window for small-scale mining, we will facilitate equipment leasing, cooperative financing, and technical training, turning informal diggers into structured entrepreneurs. Environmental standards, safety protocols and rehabilitation obligations will be strictly enforced to ensure responsible mining practices without loss of life through mining accidents.

By formalising artisanal miners, Zambia will reduce illicit mineral flows, increase state revenue, expand youth employment, and build a new generation of Zambian mine owners. We do not believe in “exterminating” and “fumigating” our citizens who are struggling to survive and look after their families. Jerabos are our people, they are NOT crimiminals deserving such level of cruelty. They are our citizens with full rights under our democratic dispensation. We believe in converting exclusion into economic citizenship and transforming poverty into productive enterprise.

Formalising Artizanal and Small-scale Mining will reduce mineral smuggling, increase government revenue, create structured employment, build a pipeline of future large-scale Zambian mine owners, reduce social unrest and transform illegal miners into taxpayers.
This is not charity. It is economic rationality. Through legalisation, cooperative structuring, ZCCM-IH anchoring, and access to finance, Zambia can transform tens of thousands of youthful informal miners into legitimate economic actors. And in doing so, we will not only stabilise the sector; we will restore dignity and give Power to the People.

Pillar 5. Value Addition: The End of Raw Export Dependency
Fellow Zambians, as I said earlier, Zambian minerals are still being exported, going out in raw form, unprocessed with no value addition. After 60 years of independence, this is an economic scandal. We will stop it. We will therefore, legislate and give incentives for investors:
• Establishing local smelters and refineries
• Investing in copper cable manufacturing and other copper products
• Investing in Battery manufacturing for electric vehicles
• Investing in the production and assembly of electric vehicles
• Investing in Gold refining within Zambia
• Investing in value addition for gemstones
• Investing in Fertilizer production using mineral inputs

Fellow Zambians, we must reach a point where no major mineral leaves Zambia in raw form without a clear value-addition roadmap. We will offer tax holidays and subsidies for investments in downstream processing facilities. Value addition is not optional, it is the foundation of industrial transformation and the basis for the positive change in the welfare of our people.

Pillar 6. Diversification Beyond Copper

Zambia’s mining future cannot be based on copper alone; we must pursue mineral diversification. To do this;
i. We will strengthen the Geological Survey Department with adequate funding to conduct nationwide exploration, including airbone geophysical surveying for new mineral deposits. All data, from the survey will belong to Zambia and shall be held by the Geological Survey Department.
ii. We will promote investment in exploration for lithium, manganese, uranium, gemstones, rare earth elements, sugilite and other minerals.
iii. We will develop emerging strategic minerals critical to the global green energy transition.

Dear citizens, mineral diversification, coupled with our drive towards value addition will shield Zambia from commodity price shocks and position us strategically in global supply chains.

Pillar 7. Local Content and SME Empowerment

We believe, fellow citizens, that any dominant industry such as Mining in Zambia, must stimulate the broader economy.
The People’s Party will therefore implement enforceable local content requirements, ensuring:
i. That procurement of goods and services into the mining sector is from Zambian-owned companies.
ii. That we enhance development of local suppliers of equipment, machinery and consumables.
iii. That there is deliberate and monitored capacity-building programs for SMEs to make them capable of meeting the requirements of the mining industry in Zambia.
iv. That Preferential procurement policies are developed at every stage to nurture Zambian enterprises servicing the mining industry.

Fellow citizens, we will grow Zambian mining millionaires, not just foreign shareholders.

Pillar 8. Skills Development and Technology Transfer

True ownership requires expertise. Our people need skills to participate fully in the industry by effectively managing their operations.
To provide the necessary skills in mining:
i. We will establish mining-focused technical schools and partnerships with universities.
ii. We will include technology transfer clauses in mining agreements signed with foreign investors.
iii. We will promote apprenticeship programs with mining companies for our youth.
iv. We will equip youth and women with engineering, geology, environmental management and mineral processing skills. Our young people must not only operate machines; they must learn to design them.

Pillar 9. Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation

We believe that mining must not destroy the communities it claims to develop. Hence, in Government,
1. We will enforce strict environmental impact assessments.
2. We will stablish a transparently managed Environmental Remediation Fund.
3. We will strengthen monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
4. We will ensure land rehabilitation after mining activities.

I must emphasize that development without sustainability is self-destruction.

Pillar 10. Community Development and Social Responsibility
We believe that mining companies must do more for the areas in which they operate, hence, mining host communities must be the primary beneficiaries from mining activities.
We will therefore require mining companies to invest in:
• Local infrastructure such as roads
• Schools and healthcare facilities
• Entrepreneurship and livelihood programs the empowerment of local communities
• Regional development funds for host areas

Communities where mining is being done must see tangible benefits, not just trucks passing through their villages destroying their roads and leaving dust for them to inhale and destroy their health.

Pillar 11. Transparent Governance and Regulatory Reform
We will strengthen regulatory frameworks, enforcement, auditing systems and monitoring mechanisms in the mining sector to ensure Full Tax compliance, Prevention of illicit financial flows, Worker safety, Contract transparency and Protection of community interests.
Mining contracts and revenues must no longer be matters of secrecy.

Pillar 12. Mining as a Catalyst for National Economic Diversification

Fellow Citizens, we believe that mining revenues must build other sectors of the economy through various externalities.
Through ZCCM-IH and sovereign revenue mechanisms, we will reinvest mining proceeds into: Agriculture, Renewable energy, Manufacturing, Tourism,Technology and Innovation
Our goal is a diversified economy that no longer rises and falls with copper prices.

In Conclusion, Fellow Zambians, we will create A Patriotic Mining Sector
The question is not and has never been, whether Zambia has resources. The question is whether Zambia has the courage to own them and to benefit from them. We have offered a bold but practical path forward, leading to Strategic ownership, Value addition, Citizen empowerment, Transparent governance, Environmental responsibility and Diversified growth.

Like I have emphasized before, we are not against foeign investors. We are against economic dependence while we have the resources that can change our economic fortunes. We cannot afford to be the fifth poorest country in the world with 72% of our people living in extreme poverty. That, put simply, is a sin and God will put us to account for sustaining economic injustice against our own people for so many decades. We are not against profit. We are against economic exclusion.

Under a People’s Party government, mining will no longer be an enclave economy. It will be the engine of national socio-economic transformation.(x2).

It is time: Time to move from extraction to empowerment; from dependence to sovereignty.
Yes, indeed, it is time to make Zambia’s mineral wealth truly work for Zambia and for Zambians.

At the end of our first term in office, please, judge us by the number of Zambians involved in formal, large scale mining; judge us by the number of Zambians involved in legal small-scale mining; judge us by the number of mineral processing facilities that would have been established, judge us by the value of foreign earnings that will accrue to Zambia; judge us by the number of jobs that would have been created in the mineral processing sub-sector in Zambia.

Fellow Zambians, Economic Power must belong to the People.

THANK YOU

Signed
Sebastian C. Kopulande
President (People’s Party)

Kanyambi Cornelius Mishengo added a voice: “Your excellence you saying what is being done already people of your caliber are the ones we expect to help sensitize Zambians on the progressive decisions your friends Dr. Situmbeko Musokwane, Dr. Denny Hamachila Kalyala and their boss are doing.We hold you in higher esteem.we needed to stabilize first especially with the situation your government (PF) left this economy,and then we hit nicely just like Levy Mwanawasa did it”.
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