THE Emerald and Semi-Precious Minerals Association of Zambia [ESMAZ] has called for the non-cancellation of idle mining licences for small scale miners. Recently, Mining Cadastre Department Director Samuel Maango revealed that about 500 small scale miners risk losing their licences for failing to comply with the Mines and Minerals Act. But ESMAZ president Victor Kalesha says most small scale mining licences were idle due to lack of government support. In an interview, Kalesha said just as President Hakainde Hichilema was calling for the reorganisation of the sector, there was need to find a solution for them rather than cancel them. “Why are they idle? That’s the question patriotic Zambians should be asking and finding a solution to rather than advocating...