‘Lifeline of the country’ - Mining Minister inaugurates new Board for Zambia’s Minerals Regulation Commission

Mining remains the backbone of Zambia’s economy, stressed Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe yesterday, as he officially inducted a new Chair and Board members for Zambia’s Minerals Regulation Commission, who have been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the country’s mineral resources are managed prudently for the benefit of both present and future generations.

“The mining sector is rapidly evolving due to global market dynamics, technological advancements and increasing demands for transparency and good governance,” noted the Minister, speaking during yesterday’s official ceremony in Lusaka. “The Commission’s role in regulating mining activities is therefore strategic and critical to national development … There must be no room for complacency, conflict of interest or compromise when it comes to safeguarding Zambia’s mineral wealth.”

Matongo Matamwandi, who recently finished a highly successful three‑year term as Chief Executive Officer of the Zambia Tourism Agency, has become the Chairperson of the new Board of the Minerals Regulation Commission, which is full of highly experienced experts and advisors across a number of fields. 

The other Board members are Gerald Mwila, Director of the Geological Survey Department for the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development; Charles Pole, Principal Land Surveyor at the Ministry of Lands; Kanyata Mayando, Principal Environmental Research Officer at the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment; Barabina Mporokoso, Director - Risk Management at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning; Diana Majokwe, Assistant Commissioner at the Ministry of Justice; Professor Michael Munkumba, an expert in management and finance; Isabel Mukelabai, Executive Director from the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction; and Professor John Siame, a chemical engineer and academic at Copperbelt University. 

Registering the new Board members’ appreciation to be considered to come and be part of the new Minerals Regulation Commission, Chair Matongo Matamwandi said the Board is committed to serving with integrity, diligence, and accountability, following the confidence and trust placed in its members by the government. 

“We are aware that mining and mineral development is not just an ordinary sector in Zambia,” said Matamwandi. “This is the lifeline for this country. So when you get an opportunity to serve on a Board for this commission you don’t take that lightly.”

The appointment of the new Commission’s Board is a “major and welcome development for Zambia’s mining sector”, says leading mining lawyer Chilombo Malama, the Head of Mining at Chibesakunda & Company, a DLA Piper Africa member firm. “This is an important step for the operationalisation of the new mining regulatory framework and should help bring more certainty around approvals, regulatory decision-making and overall administration of the sector.”

Speaking with Africa Legal earlier this year about the potential for Africa’s critical mineral wealth to help nations like Zambia transform their economic and social development (if governments and local industry can adapt), Malama discussed how the Zambian government had established the Commission late last year to centralise mining oversight, and that local mining policy has broadened to a ‘copper-plus’ approach that prioritises critical minerals alongside copper.

The Commission’s Director-General Tomliuson Hara has stressed the importance of collaboration among government, industry players, and cooperating partners, with open dialogue and partnerships are key to achieving the Commission’s mandate.

The new Board brings fresh perspectives, diverse expertise and strengthened oversight that will help guide the Commission in fulfilling its mandate of regulating the mining sector effectively, said Hara, who affirmed management’s commitment to work closely with the Board to strengthen regulatory frameworks, promote compliance, and ensure Zambia derives maximum value from its mineral wealth.