LUSAKA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Thursday called on the police to arrest people using children in illegal mining activities.
This follows the emergency of video on social media which shows boys as young as 10 years working at an illegal mine on the Copperbelt Province.
Minister of Mines Richard Musukwa said it was against the law of the country to use children in any form of labor.
"Government and the ministry of mines and minerals development take strong exception at the revelation shown in the video circulating over illegal mining activities in Chingola. We condemn in the strongest terms the illegal use of children in the extraction of the ore material by suspected known local businessmen," he said in a release.
According to him, the ministry has dispatched mine inspectors to the province to ascertain and verify the extent of the problem and help bring the culprits to book.
