BLACK MOUNTAIN: CHROME PICKERS RIOT
By Clinton Masumba
Thousands of chrome pickers this morning ran amok disrupting operations at the Ore rich black mountain in Kitwe as the Government bans them from operating at the site.
This was after the chrome hand pickers, mostly youths, refused to leave the site following the elapse of the three hour scheduled picking time and started stoning vehicles.
A Check by ZNBC News at the Black mountain found police keeping vigil at the site while all machines were packed.
And Kitwe District Commissioner LAWRENCE MWANZA has told ZNBC News that chrome hand-pickers will no longer access the black mountain until further notice.
Mr MWANZA also disclosed that it was a serious error and breach of the mines and minerals act for operators at the black mountain to allow chrome hand pickers at the site.
He also accused small scale miners popularly known as Jerabos and some foreign investors operating in Kitwe of sponsoring the chrome hand pickers who are causing confusion at the black mountain.
Earlier some of the chrome hand-pickers told ZNBC News that the protest was as a result of the few hours allocated to them to access the black mountain.