Behind HH’s warning to soldiers: Deaths, disputed licences and a gold rush dividing Mufumbwe

 

President Hakainde Hichilema’s instruction that soldiers must not harass miners raises deeper questions about military oversight, the allocation of gold-rich land and who will ultimately benefit from Kikonge’s mineral wealth.

By Headlines in Zambia Investigations Desk
MUFUMBWE, Zambia — August 8, 2026

President Hakainde Hichilema has warned soldiers deployed in Mufumbwe District against harassing miners, placing renewed attention on a gold-mining area that has experienced fatal accidents, violent confrontations, mass evictions and an expanding military presence.

The warning, reported under the headline “HH warns soldiers: Don’t harass miners in Mufumbwe,” is more than a routine instruction to security personnel. It comes against the background of a struggle over access to Kikonge’s gold deposits involving local miners, cooperatives, state institutions, foreign nationals and a newly formed state-controlled mining company.

Publicly accessible portions of the report indicate that Hichilema also said the government would not permit foreigners to take control of mining activities that should benefit Zambians. However, the available report does not identify the soldiers accused of harassment, the miners who allegedly complained or whether any disciplinary investigations have been opened.

That missing information is crucial. If the President considered the complaints serious enough to issue a public warning, the government should disclose what happened, which military unit was involved and what measures are being taken to protect civilians.

From gold rush to security operation

Kikonge became a magnet for thousands of informal miners following reports of significant gold deposits. The sudden movement of people into the area produced makeshift settlements, unregulated trading centres and dangerous mining operations.

In a ministerial statement delivered to Parliament in July 2025, Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu said more than 50,000 illegal miners had descended on Kikonge. The government’s account said a confrontation erupted on July 3, 2025 after miners allegedly attacked police officers deployed to restore order.

According to that statement, police used tear gas, rubber bullets and warning shots. Twelve police officers were reportedly injured, while three civilians were shot in the legs. These figures represent the government’s version of events and should not be treated as a substitute for an independent investigation into the conduct of both police and miners. National Assembly of Zambia

Other reports from the period recorded fatalities during clashes and mining accidents. Dangerous tunnels and unsupported trenches exposed miners to collapses, while the absence of formal safety controls made rescue operations difficult.

An investigation by Makanday described Kikonge as an increasingly violent gold rush involving gangs, firearms and informal commercial networks. When its reporters visited the area in September 2025, they found that confrontations were continuing despite security operations. These findings are independent reporting, but allegations involving particular groups or individuals would still require corroboration through police, court and medical records. Makanday investigation

Army deployment raises accountability questions

In January 2026, the Zambia Army announced that it had cleared illegal miners from Kikonge. Army Commander Lieutenant General Geoffrey Zyeele said troops had also closed informal markets known as “Swahiri” and “Ukraine,” which authorities alleged were being operated by illegal immigrants. News Diggers report

The operation became controversial after the word “exterminate” was reportedly associated with the military mission. Defence Minister Ambrose Lufuma later said the term had been misused and maintained that the objective was to remove illegal miners—not to kill or harm them. Zambian Business Times

Hichilema’s latest warning suggests that relations between soldiers and miners remain a concern months after the clearing operation.

The government has not publicly explained the rules governing the continued presence of soldiers at Kikonge. It should clarify whether the deployment is supporting police, guarding a strategic mineral asset or controlling civilian access to mining land.

It should also disclose the soldiers’ rules of engagement, the system for reporting abuse and whether complaints are investigated by military police, the Human Rights Commission or an independent civilian authority.

Without such safeguards, miners may have little practical protection from intimidation, unlawful detention, confiscation of minerals or demands for unofficial payments.

Promised formalisation—and conflicting numbers

The government has repeatedly said it wants informal miners organised into cooperatives rather than permanently excluded from the gold industry.

In 2025, authorities announced that 90 cooperatives had received offer letters connected to mining rights in Mufumbwe. Government statements also referred to the training of hundreds of artisanal miners and plans to subdivide land for local cooperatives.

More recent reports have referred to approximately 8,000 hectares being allocated to more than 500 artisanal miners. ZNBC

These announcements leave several unanswered questions:

• Who are the beneficial owners and members of the selected cooperatives?

• What criteria were used to approve or reject applicants?

• How much land was allocated to each cooperative?

• Are politically exposed persons connected to any successful applicants?

• How many offer letters have become valid mining licences?

• Were displaced miners given a fair opportunity to participate?

A group associated with Kikonge has reportedly alleged that cooperatives connected to people from Southern Province received favourable treatment during the allocation process. The allegation has not been independently proven, but its seriousness requires the Ministry of Mines to publish the complete allocation register, evaluation criteria and tenement maps. Zambian Business Times

Transparency would protect legitimate licence holders while allowing the public to determine whether the process benefited local miners or politically connected outsiders.

A new state-backed company enters Kikonge

The contest over Kikonge became more significant in May 2026 when state investment company ZCCM Investments Holdings announced the formation of Kyalo Goldfields Limited.

According to Reuters, ZCCM-IH owns 51 percent of the company, while Mining Mineral Resources holds the remaining 49 percent. The joint venture is expected to explore, develop and mine gold at Kikonge. At the time of the announcement, the detailed project scope and budget were still being prepared. Reuters

The creation of the company raises an important question: how will the large commercial project coexist with the artisanal cooperatives that were promised mining areas?

The government should publish the boundaries of the joint venture’s concession, its shareholder agreement and any arrangements governing gold purchases from cooperatives. It should also disclose how Mining Mineral Resources was selected, its beneficial owners, its financial contribution and the obligations it must meet before production begins.

Without these disclosures, there is a risk that “formalisation” could simply transfer access from thousands of informal miners to a smaller group of companies and licence holders.

Foreign participation must be established through evidence

The President’s reported warning against foreigners controlling local mineral resources will resonate with communities that believe outsiders are profiting from Zambia’s gold.

However, nationality alone cannot establish criminality. Authorities should publish the number of foreign nationals arrested at Kikonge, the offences allegedly committed, the number charged or deported and whether any held valid immigration, employment or mining documentation.

Vague references to “foreigners” can inflame hostility while allowing the organisers, financiers and gold buyers behind illegal mining networks to remain unidentified.

Investigators should follow the gold itself: where it is sold, who finances extraction, how it leaves Mufumbwe and whether production is declared for tax and royalty purposes.

The test of the President’s warning

Hichilema’s instruction will have little effect unless it produces an accountable system for handling complaints against security personnel.

The government should establish an accessible complaints desk in Mufumbwe, publish a toll-free reporting number and provide regular information about cases received, investigated and concluded. Miners who report abuse must be protected from retaliation.

Authorities must also account for every death, injury and disappearance connected to the gold rush and subsequent security operations. Families deserve to know whether investigations were completed, whether post-mortems were conducted and whether anyone was prosecuted or compensated.

The central issue is no longer simply whether soldiers should behave professionally. It is whether the state can secure a valuable mining area without violating citizens’ rights—and whether Kikonge’s gold will improve local lives or enrich a small network of licence holders, contractors and intermediaries.

Until the government publishes the deployment rules, cooperative register, mining maps, casualty records and joint-venture agreements, Hichilema’s warning remains an important statement surrounded by unanswered questions.