Vice President Mutale Nalumango has called for stronger regional cooperation among Great Lakes countries to combat the illegal exploitation of minerals, telling member states that no country can effectively address the problem in isolation.
Mrs Nalumango, represented by Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet for Finance and Economic Development Mr Siazongo Siakalenge, was speaking on Monday at the official opening of the 10th Meeting of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Council of Ministers Responsible for Mines in Lusaka. She urged member states to curb the illegal cross-border trade in minerals while ensuring natural resources contribute to peace, economic growth and sustainable development.
The Vice President said progress in implementing the six tools of the Regional Initiative on Natural Resources had remained uneven, with only five member states having fully implemented the regional certification mechanism — more than a decade after the adoption of the Lusaka Declaration in December 2010. That, she said, highlighted the need to address persistent implementation challenges and strengthen accountability in the management of natural resources.
She said the proposed inclusion of mineral value addition and cross-border trade in the revised Regional Initiative would broaden the regional approach beyond traceability and certification, helping member states derive greater economic benefit from their mineral wealth through investment, industrial development, employment creation and participation in mineral value chains.
ICGLR Committee Chairperson Mr Louis Kabamba urged member states to translate their commitments into concrete action so that minerals traded across borders are legally sourced. European Union Ambassador to Zambia Ms Karolina Stasiak said illegal mineral activities deprived governments of public revenue and contributed to corruption, organised crime, human exploitation, environmental degradation and conflict.
The ministerial meeting follows last week's 33rd meeting of the ICGLR regional committee against illegal exploitation, where Ministry of Mines and Minerals Permanent Secretary Dr Hapenga Kabeta said Zambia had put measures in place including support for artisanal and small-scale mining, stronger inspections and a mineral tracking system. The push dovetails with the Government's Grow Zambia targets, which count on mining — and a legal, formalised small-scale sector — to help lift copper output towards three million tonnes a year.
Sources: Lusaka Times, “Nalumango Calls For Regional Unity To Curb Illegal Mineral Exploitation” (12 Oct 2026); ZNBC, “Nalumango Calls for Stronger Cooperation on Combating Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources” (13 Oct 2026); Lusaka Times, “Govt. Commits To Addressing Illegal Exploitation Of Natural Resources” (9 Oct 2026).