They stated that almost all the production at the four sites was artisanal. They also asserted that SAEMAPE officials were present at the MIKAS mines and that they tallied the weight of each day’s production, which determined MIKAS’s royalty payment to the Congolese government. If true, it would mean that the government agency tasked with monitoring artisanal miners and protecting their interests was part of the system of illegally utilizing artisanal miners on industrial sites. I would encounter similar reports at other industrial sites farther along the road to Kolwezi.
