Africa-Press – Zambia. Small Scale Miner’s on the Copperbelt have called on the government to curtail the group of Kitwe businessman Shawi Fawaz and his partner Valden Findlay from running small scale mining activities which was meant for the youths in Copperbelt.
According to the Small Scale Miners, the two business Giants and a British investor called Collin Bird have moved to Bwana Mkubwa Dumping site even before the mining license was granted to them by the Mining Cadaster.
Alex Kabwe who spoke on behalf of the small Scale Miner’s, said the intended beneficiaries will not benefit from the empowerment programs at the black mountain.
He said Shamrock Mineral Resources the company which is owned by Bird is currently undertaking Mining activities at the Dump site without any documentation from the mines an illegality he said should not be tolerated.
Kabwe said the youths had information that the previous regime had give 75% of the Black Mountain to companies owned by Mr. Fawazi and his business partner Valdin Findlay.
He said the Mr. Fawazi had been getting the said dump sites using Findlay’s connections at Statehouse and the Ministry of Mines in the previous government.
He complained that all the dump sites on the Copperbelt are run by Mr. Shawi and Mr. Findlay when the beneficiaries should be the suffering youths.
Kabwe has cited the recently given Bwana Mkubwa Tailings dumps which the two are running together with Bird without the involvement of youths who should be the owners of the projects.
“There is a committee. it’s just that it’s work was suspended due to the elections. This committee was constituted to share the Black Mountain in Kitwe. The intended beneficiaries are the youths and cooperatives in the Copperbelt. The committee is headed by the PS Mines Mr Barnaby Mulenga, ZCCM-IH is also represented and other stakeholders but it has been hijacked such that 75% of the Black Mountains was given to companies which are owned collectively by Shawi Fawazi, Valden Fedlay and Collin Bird through the company called Shamrock Mineral Resources.
“They are also using other proxies belonging to the two. We know that PS has individually benefited from this as he is the one who is being used by Findlay to facilitate for these corrupt activities.
“So when you check on the companies which will take hold of the Black Mountain you will find that 75% will go to these two. So as youths we are calling on the government to firstly disband that committee and ensure that the empowerment goes to the intended beneficiaries who are the youths and cooperatives in the Copperbelt,” he said
Kabwe further said FIC should also freeze Fawazi’s accounts because Findlay is still using the bank accounts for his partner rendering the freezing of Mr. Findlay’s accounts ineffective and futile.
“What we are saying as the youths on the Copperbelt is that FIC should also freeze accounts belonging to Mr. Fawazi to ensure that Mr. Findlay who is his business partner does not use those accounts left free to do business and undermine their work. If FIC is serious about investigating Mr. Findlay then his partners should also be put under the same scrutiny and be investigated. The government should up the game and ensure that the wrongs are corrected once and for all. We can’t have two people having complete control of the dumps. This was the dump which was given to the youths just a few months ago before the general election. So let the new government find a way to empower the general youths, and stop this curtail of these businessmen,” said Mr. Kabwe.
The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) recently froze bank accounts of businessman Mr Valden Findlay for suspected financial crimes and money laundering.
The business man was also at the centre of contraversy involving the importation of fake COVID-19 vaccines which were confiscated and destroyed by the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority.
Shawi Fawazi has a documented history of disregarding the law and institutions of governance with impunity such as the courts of law were he has disregarded court orders severally.
The classic example of Mr. Fawazi’s disdain for institutions of governance is when he refused to vacate Kalengwa mine in Mufumbwe despite the Supreme Court ruling against his claim to the title of the mine which he fraudulantly acquired as he continued doing mining activities at the mine using one of his proxy companies KPZ.
Fawazi’s KPZ has continued to be present at the Mine despite the court injunction forbidding them to be there after the mining license was returned to the rightful owners of the mine.
Mr Fawazi also allegedly acquired ownership of Black fire mining company after the owner, an American who was his partner fled the country after receiving threats on his life from people concerning ownership of the mine which Fawaz later owned 100%.
