Black Mountain Controversy: Will JERABOS Give Up?
By ALEX NJOVU
ENTRY into Kitwe from the southern side of the city is greeted by the sight of a huge mass of mine waste dumpsite commonly known as ‘Black Mountain’ located on the tassels of Kitwe-Ndola dual carriageway and notorious for illegal mining scavenging activities.

Black Mountain
The ‘mountain’, which is now heavily guarded by armed police officers, is home to different types of minerals and has over the years proved to be both a death trap and a source of livelihood to many young people particularly those from Wusakile, Chamboli, Ndeke, Mulenga, St.Athony and Nkandabwe townships who scavenge for minerals on a daily basis.
Inside, the dumpsite is a death trap with caves created by scavengers some of them as young as 12.
The illegal mining activities are conducted by youths engaged by copper thieves commonly known as Jerabos to scavenge for different types of minerals particularly copper and cobalt for their survival.
The slug which is probably as old as Zambia herself is a hot cake containing various minerals targeted by different factions of Jerabos. Over the years many young copper thieves have been buried alive while scavenging.
Recently, Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma directed police to secure the dumpsite while Government is trying to legalise mining activities in the restricted area.
Mr Yaluma who toured the controversial ‘mountain’ said in Kitwe Government wants to put in place safety measures at the site before allowing people to operate from there.
He said this is the reason Government has directed the police to secure the area and stop illegal mining activities until safety measures are put in place.
The minister also said Government wants illegal miners operating there to form cooperatives before they are given mining licences to legalise their operations.
“As Government, we want to ensure that there is sanity in the manner in which mining activities at the mine dump are being conducted.
“We want our people to form cooperatives and once they do that, we are going to train them on safety measures that are there in mining. We don’t want the youth to lose their lives because they are future leaders,” Mr Yaluma said.
Government’s desire is to create employment for the youth in the mining sector and to ensure they work in a safe environment.
Despite being a death trap, the unemployed youths have continued to conduct illegal mining activities around the dump site for their sustainability.
A check in the densely populated Wusakile Township on Wednesday found a gang of Jerabos openly bragging about their illegal activities near the dumpsite.
“If you have never seen people who are called Jerabos, we are Jerabos. We control Kitwe and the Black Mountain in particular. We are thieves; we steal from people and beat them if they cross our path. Those that prove to be problematic, we take out regardless of their status in society. We simply silence them forever and if they are not lucky, we scatter their families too,” one of them bragged.
Clad in black vest and red trousers, the youthful Jerabo who was ready to reveal his identity before his senior most boss phoned him against giving an interview to the press said crime is likely to increase in Kitwe particularly in Wusakile if the dumpsite is not given back to the young people in the sprawling township.
“Ask Nkana Football Club fans, they cry every time they come to watch their team because we steal things from their vehicles. We are upset that the dumpsite is guarded by the police. If you want, leave your car here just for few minutes, we can assure you that you will not find the tyres and other spare parts,” he said while pointing at the labelled Daily Mail vehicle.
The youths warned that Government will make a grave mistake if it decides to sell the dump site to a foreign investor.
“People in Wusakile are crying on daily basis, we steal tyres from their vehicles and other spare parts such as batteries and car shocks. We are breaking into their homes, we don’t fear anyone, and we have started terrorising people in Wusakile Township.
“Government has no choice but to give us the dumpsite, we have to be empowered if crime is to reduce. Let them empower us by giving us the Black Mountain and that is the only way we can be good citizens. Other than that we are ready to fight with the police,” he said before driving off in a Toyota Hiace Noah.
(To be continued next week).

Posted by
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on May 25, 2014. Filed under
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ponkeni
May 25, 2014 at 12:04 pm
boma ni boma jerabo kwisa you will be
shot bamakaka
Fk
May 25, 2014 at 12:34 pm
No sense makaka iwe u are even bragging as if wat u do is good ****** *****.where are the anti robbery squad?people go to school to earn a good living and yet you re stealing from them.Bushe abantu balileka ukulowa.those old day if u steal a chicken u wil bewitched.
comfused chicken
May 25, 2014 at 7:47 pm
ba jerabo marabishi ifiko mulesamba,jerabo uniti
Cathy
May 26, 2014 at 8:04 am
Jerabo book haram!
chile1
May 26, 2014 at 8:06 am
the prblm is cops r handsomely paid by thiz same jerabos