Three years ago, the central government made these craft areas available to them. According to the Provincial Ministry of Mines, it is necessary before any exploitation to transform these sites into surface mines and proceed with the opening of roads to ensure the best working conditions for craft mines. Meanwhile, some impatient miners are engaged in anarchic exploitation of cobalt.
With our special correspondent in Kolwezi, Denise Maheho
In the northern part of the Kasulo district and Kolwezi, an orange tarpaulin tent has been set up next to each house. It covers the cobalt extraction wells. On Busanga Avenue, a motor pump evacuates the water from the underground gallery, further women clean the ore.
For lack of better
Small torch attached to his forehead, Mathieu works there for lack of something better: “I studied metallurgy. But now I find myself here by craft mining because I am unemployed. Kasulo is a neighborhood, but we discovered cobalt there, the quarry is called Sikia Bintu. ”
Kasulo is an unofficial mine site. This other excavator, which preferred to remain anonymous, is concerned that the site may be closed: “Where are we going? If we close this site, how should we educate our children? ”
The sites to be made available by the central government to artisans are still not open for use. There is a lack of roads and funding for the preparatory work.
15,000 artisans waiting
Meanwhile, provincial authorities claim they have negotiated with companies to make craft mines available elsewhere. “We had to make contacts with industrial companies, and we set up buffer sites to supervise craft mines. It has a few places Gécamines and Chemaf [Cas des investissements Chemical of Afric] where the supervised craft miners work today, ”explains Éric Tshisola, director of the cabinet of the provincial minister of mines in Kolwezi.
To date, around 15,000 craft mines in Lualaba province are awaiting the opening of other craft zones, as promised by authorities.
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