The Editor Zambia
Why are some politicians jittery with the Zambia Army Commander Lt. General Geoffrey Zyeele’s resolve to remove armed illegal armed miners?
If they mean well for the country, why are they opposed the government decision to remove the illegal miners? 
Illegal mining is a potential enterprise that corrodes State authority, fuels organised crime, undermines environmental protection, and in extreme cases, finances armed violence.
Illegal miners do not merely dig holes in the ground, they finance chaos, destabilise communities, and bankroll wars that consume generations.
There are numerous examples on the continent where such illegal extraction of natural resources has caused civil unrest and uncontrollable conflicts that have displaced millions of people.
WHY ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS ANGRY WITH COMMANDER ZYEELE? ARE THEY THE A BENEFICIARIES FROM THE ILLEGAL EXPLOITATION OF PRECIOUS STONES? ARE THEY BANKING ON ILLEGAL MINING TO BANKROLL THEIR CAMPAIGNS?
We understand that criminal networks and enterprises linked to illegal mining have launched a coordinated smear campaign against the Commander of the Zambia Army Lt. General Geoffrey Zyeele in an apparent attempt to intimidate the military leadership.
We have noticed the unrighteous outrage of armchair critics censuring the Commander of the Zambia Army Gen. Zyeele for his military language and hard stand on illegal mining.
The calls to have the Commander of the Zambia Army dismissed are not in public interest but an attempt to interrupt his call to rout out all the illegal miners across the country.
Illegal gold mine or illegal extraction of the national resources should be treated with seriousness and soberness it deserves.
For once can we have order. Can the perpetual armchair critics take several seats and leave the authorities to work independently.
Gen. Zyeele has access to privileged information and is not acting from an empty corner.
In 2025, the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development organised major nationwide training workshops for artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) as part of a significant, ongoing initiative to formalise the sector, enhance safety, and boost economic growth.
The objective of the programme was to train illegal or informal mining operators to become licensed, safe, and productive cooperatives focusing on transitioning the sector from illicit to legal, safe operations.
The government did not end at training illegal miners but also issued licenses for various cooperatives and individuals across the country.
The government did not just wake up and target illegal miners without offering a solution. With all the interventions given, why are some individuals scared of formalising their operations?
Illegal mining is not a victimless economic activity. It is a destabilising enterprise that corrodes State authority, fuels organised crime, undermines environmental protection, and in extreme cases, finances armed violence.
When left unchecked, it creates parallel power structures that challenges legitimate governance and security institutions.
Illegal miners, if left unchecked, will start creating territories with boundaries where citizens will not be allowed to move freely. Criminal groups will use mining revenues to purchase weapons, recruit fighters, and terrorise rural communities.
What the authorities are doing is to prevent the criminal gangs from maturing into full-scale security threats, requiring far greater military and financial resources to contain.
The Commander of the Zambia Army is trying to stop the eminent catastrophic disaster in waiting.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), illegal mining—particularly in gold, coltan, and cobalt—has long been intertwined with armed militias and transnational criminal networks.
Similarly, Nigeria’s experience offers a sobering lesson. In several northern States, illegal gold mining has been directly linked to banditry and insurgent financing.
Wars in the Central African Republic (CAR) are driven by a complex mix of weak State institutions, competition over abundant natural resources (diamonds, gold, oil). Again, illegal mining.
Sudan: Since April 2023, the ongoing civil war has been heavily fueled by gold production, with armed factions fighting for control of mines, such as the Jebel Amer gold mine, which was the site of violent conflicts between tribes.
Sierra Leone: The 11-year civil war (1991–2002) was infamously driven by the “blood diamond” trade, where the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels seized diamond fields to fund their insurgency, resulting in massive brutality against civilians.
Liberia: Similar to Sierra Leone, Liberia’s civil war (1989–2003) involved rebels and warlords using illegal diamond mining and timber trafficking to finance the war, with regional actors often involved in smuggling.
It is in this context that the reported smear campaign against the Commander of the Zambia Army must be understood. He is merely prioritising the safety and security of the country.
Secondly, Illegal mining deprives the nation of the much-needed revenue to service the country’s free education, buy medicines in hospitals, expand road connectivity, and service the huge public service wage bill.
Illegal mining just exposes rural communities, especially women and children, to exploitation and unsafe working conditions. It increases disease burdens due to unsafe sex in the communities.
Discrediting military leadership is a familiar tactic used by criminal networks seeking to delegitimise enforcement, fracture public trust, and create space for their operations to continue unhindered.
Public debate and accountability are essential in any democracy. But campaigns driven by vested criminal interests, aimed at weakening institutions tasked with protecting the country, must be firmly rejected.
Zambia still has the opportunity to act decisively before illegal mining turns into a broader security and governance crisis.
The calls by Socialist Party leader FredM’membe, Patriots for Economic Progress leader Sean Tembo, New Heritage Party leader Chishala Kateka, and former Home Affairs Steven Kampyongo should not be taken seriously.
Let these politicians not overstep their politicking to matters that need sobriety and decisive leadership. Let politicians drug government organs into their failed political moves.
History across Africa shows a clear pattern: where illegal mining is tolerated, insecurity follows. Where the State retreats, criminal economies advance.
Zambia’s decision point is, therefore, not merely about mining. It is about sovereignty, the rule of law, and the long-term stability of the nation.
Ranting and the calculated smear campaign should not be tolerated. Let Commander for the Zambia Army put his foot down. His calls are in public interest.
