Chapamo, the company carrying out mining activities at the Black Mountain resumed works on Monday but were stopped by Musukwa.

The minister said operations at the site could not go ahead without his office receiving a mining plan of how Chapamo was going to conduct operations.

He said Chapamo needed to submit the plan which should be approved by the mines ministry technical team.

Musukwa said it was important that ministry looked at the plan to know if the company was ready to start operations or not.

He said the plan was important for the company to have because it was to going to indicate the material will be brought down and how the excavators will be taken out on top.

The minister said the plan was important in preventing accidents and deaths that may at the mountain.

“The black mountain is a national project and everyone is interested in knowing what is happening therefore we need a mine plan that is of public domain and needs to be brought to my office and examined by technical team and will either approve it or not therefore we need to be serious because a can not start operations before safety measures are completed.”he said.

And Copperbelt Province minister Japhen Mwakalombe has appealed to his mines counterpart to expedite the resuming of work at the mountain so that the youths can start working.

He said the mountain is as a form of empowerment which youths are supposed to gain money to use in diversifying into other businesses.

He said the putting up of a security fence and CCTV is a sign that the small scale miners are adhering to the ministry’s instructions and that they are willing to work in a good environment.

“I am impressed with what I have seen especially the putting up of some of the security measures it shows that they are listening even though I am appealing that the ministry grants the mountain back as it is an empowerment to the youths, “he said .

And Chapamo executive director Kelvin Tembo said the small scale miners would deal with the minister’s concern before resuming operations.