COMMUNITY ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING (CASGM) COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED IN SHIWANG’ANDU DISTRICT, MUCHINGA PROVINCE

On 19th February, the planetGOLD Zambia Project established the grassroot Community Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Committee (CASGM) in Shiwang’andu District aimed at strengthening formalisation and sector coordination.

As part of the visit, the planetGOLD Zambia team paid a courtesy call on His Royal Highness Chief Mukwikile, who welcomed the initiative and emphasised the importance of empowering miners with financial literacy and responsible mining practices.

Chief Mukwikile encouraged the project to support miners in learning how to save and invest their income responsibly to improve their livelihoods. He also highlighted the existence of a Village Fund within the Chiefdom and urged cooperatives and committees to work closely with traditional leadership to advance community development and sustainable growth.
The planetGOLD Zambia team also paid a courtesy call on Shiwang’andu District Administrative Officer Mr. Christopher Banda. During the meeting, National Project Manager, for the planetGOLD Zambia Project Ms. Abigail Mwailenge introduced the project and explained that the VASGM model is part of a three-tier governance structure involving national, district, and community-level committees.

She highlighted the project’s key focus areas, including formalisation, improving access to finance and markets, promoting the adoption of mercury-free technologies and strengthening knowledge sharing.
The District Administrative Officer welcomed the initiative and expressed appreciation for the project’s efforts. He encouraged continued collaboration to build platforms that promote safe and responsible Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining.

Following a presentation on the CASGM model and how it works, representatives from various cooperatives within Shiwang’andu District elected members of the Community Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Committee, ensuring representation that promotes gender inclusion and youth participation. The CASGM committee will help strengthen community coordination, improve governance and support formalisation efforts at the local level.