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Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, Jack Mwiimbu, has denied social media claims that police reinforcements had shot dead 18 suspected illegal miners in Kikonge area of Mufumbwe district, North-Western Province.
Mwiimbu described the social media claims as lies, according to a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday by Ministry Principal Public Relations Officer, Mwaala Kalaluka.
The minister said this at Solwezi Airport after a fact-finding tour at Kikonge area in the company of the Minister of Defence Ambrose Lufuma, North-Western Province Minister Robert Lihefu, and defence and security chiefs on Sunday,
He said during the fracas that occurred at Kikonge area when police reinforcements arrived to disperse the over 25,000 of the over 50,000 illegal miners who had converged on the 120-kilometre radius, two people were shot dead while one was injured.
“A total of 11 police officers were injured after they were attacked by the irate illegal miners, and two of these were seriously injured and were among those receiving treatment in hospital,” Mwiimbu said.
He stated that Sunday’s tour of Kikonge area proceeded in a peaceful manner and there was not a single incident that occurred whilst the top government officials were in the area.
“No one should be allowed to conduct any illegal mining activities in the area,” he emphasised his earlier message at Kikonge.
Similary, Lihefu agreed with Mwiimbu that social media claims alleging that 18 people had been shot dead by government operatives in Kikonge area over the halted illegal mining activities were false.
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