For a long time, the handicraft sector has suffered from systemic difficulties: illegal mining, lack of transparency in supply chains, self-seizure of land, high injuries to workers, as well as significant budget shortfalls.
To remedy the situation, the Ministry of Mining has launched a program to professionalize the industry. In this regard, 64 artisanal mining Zones (ZEA) have been formed: 33 sites are located in the province of Lualaba and 31 in the province of Upper Katanga. These territories are designed to provide miners with legal protection, safety and organized labor in accordance with the norms of the Mining Code. After completing the technical audit of the sites, working with cooperatives and defining the boundaries of the zones, the authorities moved on to the implementation stage.
A specialized contractor has been involved to create the necessary infrastructure for ZEA, and the process of phased settlement of sites by mining cooperatives will proceed as the facilities are ready. The first successes have already been recorded. In Lualaba Province, over 5,000 prospectors who previously worked illegally at site T17 within the Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) borders have been transferred to ZEA 786 in Kasulo. Now their activities are carried out within the framework of the law, in a safe and strictly regulated environment.
The grand opening of the first ZEA pilot zone was led by Jean-Paul Capongo, CEO of SAEMAPE, who acted as the representative of the Minister of Mining. The event was attended by the Governor of Lualaba, Fifi Masuka Saini, the regional leadership, relevant government departments and delegates from mining cooperatives. The ongoing reform also provides for the introduction of social innovations, in particular, the provision of insurance coverage for artisanal miners and their family members.
This step is intended to strengthen the mechanisms of social support for workers, guarantee the safety of their work and ensure a stable improvement in the quality of life of their loved ones. The launch of the ZEA pilot project in Kasulo symbolizes the beginning of a profound transformation of the entire artisanal mining system in the Congo.
According to the authorities, these transformations will help optimize the management of the industry, increase transparency in the supply chains of minerals, protect investments, increase tax revenues and open up new economic opportunities for many prospectors. Through this program, the Government aims to implement a strategy to create a modern, accountable and open mining sector, systematically replacing informal mining with a structured model that benefits both the State and the public.
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