The Lower Zambezi National Park is soon going to be the site of a new Copper mine,thanks to Lands Minister Larry Kalaba who overturned the Zambia Environmental Management Agency rulning against this.
Zambezi Resources Ltd announced that Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister Larry Kalaba has formally overturned the Zambia Environmental Management Agency’s rejection of its Environmental Impact Study and given the green light for Zambezi Resources Ltd to proceed to develop its 100% owned Kangaluwi Copper Project in Zambia.
Zambezi Resources Chairman, Mr David Vilensky said company welcomes the Zambian Government’s decision to allow its Kangaluwi Copper Project in the Lower Zambezi National Park to proceed to development.
Mr Vilensky said securing formal approval of the EIS represents a major milestone for the Company as it can now take steps and proceed to take the Kangaluwi Copper Project to the development stage and become an emerging producer.
He complimented the Zambian Government in allowing the Kangaluwi Copper Project to proceed within the National Park as part of its revised Mineral Resources Development Policy which seeks to strike a fair balance between the benefits of mining and the protection of the environment and wildlife conservation, provided its policies and laws are respected and adhered to and such investments will create employment opportunities for ordinary Zambians.
The Kangaluwi Copper Project, east of Lusaka will open a new copper province.
PF please stop destroying mother Zambia! It’s is evident that mining exploration just destroy land after getting our those mineral resources. I guess the minister has been ‘oiled’ for him to disregard the advice of environment experts. The truth will soon come out.
This is a decision with disastrous consequences. The poor minister must have received an order from above and all he had to do was comply.
We have not heard the last of this matter. Why would someone over-look an earlier made decision not to mine other than that money has changed hands?
We ordinary citizens do not benefit anything from current mining enterprises in Zambia so we do not want them here at all.
Besides the environmental mathematics placed us in a losing position so WHY WHY WHY???
This hopeless government is broke so they are willing to compromise anything for a few ngwees. This is what happens when you have shortsighted people with no planning and strategic skills running a country. It is extremely sad.
It’s well and good just to over rule a professional body’s advice because one is a minister. The ideal thing to do by the minister is to give counter arguments based on sound reasons to support the reason to overturn the decision by ZEMA. Failure to provide these reasons will always provide fuel for speculation that some under hand is at play. Pertinent issues to support the decision is what delierate actions will the mining company employ to protect this fragile eco system? Going by what other mining consortia have been up to, one wonders how much social responsibility this company has pledged to the local community. Instead of the locals rejoicing, we tend to weep because the profits from these operations are never realised by the locals let alone the nation at large.
This time I’m getting a piece of the cake…..
I’m becomming a supplier and getting a piece of this bemba cake…..
My people lets not keep sitting back while our country and environment is damaged for a song! Lets will that this damage must not carry on…Our ancient landscape and rivers are being polluted for nothing, while we just sit back and watch in a docile manner.. this is wrong. The new Zambian must not let this carry on, its so heart breaking how powerless we are in these matters. All over the country the mining that takes place including the huge projects i doubt their benefit outweighs the damage caused. Digging holes using the white man’s crazy methods is outdated and backward, we are damaging our country. Why not develop the country’s agricultural potential as it is only operating at 20%, Zambia can feed 200 million people…
Africa’s brightest economies at the moment are not being driven by this damaging mining practice, but by food production.. Mozambique, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia! We need a new approach, we can’t get wealthy at the expense of our environment, we still must live with the environment
Bad Decision….
Animal Farm
When we warned you that this gang of thieves do not mean well for Zambia you insulted us…
Hello fellow bloggers….
Personally this isn’t right……thats why there are environmental Laws to govern natural resources and wildlife…..Even the name ‘Minister’ that is tagged on the back of the non-visionary Kalaba is not above the Law.
However, due to the non-objectivity of this country’s so-called ministers when tracks of clear golden money is being offered to them, it leaves others to suffers including natural resources and wildlife as seen from this decision of the Minister.
I guess the ACC’s eyebrows have been raised for consideration of this decision to be added to their tasks.
I wonder how much money these miners have bribed these politicians…how can one dumb minister overrule an environmental organisation? Its just disgusting….the system is all flawed.
ALL WE DO IS TALK, TALK AND TALK AND BLOG AND BLOG AND BLOG & COMMENT & COMMENT…..
Surely, there has to be another way to do something with proper results
This requires an injunction!
CNP indeed!
I feel Honorable Minister Kalaba is one of the most rational and hard working Ministers in Govt at the moment. But this decision is a bad one.
So ZEMA says NO! Yet this nincompoop of a minister thinks he has the right to over-rule such an important institution!!
This govt needs to go , actually should have gone like many months ago – We can’t have streetsweepers & their hangers-on how don’t understand the impact of ill advised projects such as the mine proposed! We have to learn from the disaster called Kabwe & its dead mines – the pristine ecology of LZNP will out perform the short term mine myopia!!
yaba… Zambia is being sodomized by ruthless savagers,yayayayaya!!!!
i now blame bashilubemba for sending that ka lumba to those innocent police officers guading the palace,,,,,, they should have sent that ka lumba to state house to sort things,
Zambia would have had peace by now and all this sodomy would have stopped
Really ? This story has spoiled my day.Awe nafulwa sana.There is no way a mine which won`t even have a long lifespan be given priority over the national park.Ba minister aba bena chiwelewele.
Lower Zambezi is among the top five national parks that Zambia has, in terms of variety of animal species and numbers. Thanks to top notch management of natural estates by our Zimbabwean friends.
Mining in this park is clearly a demonstration of poor judgement on the part of PF. In other words, bu pubo bu!
Best decisions are always made by a panel of experts and the worst decisions are usually made by overzealous power drunk individuals.How much education does this vuvuzela minister have?
good point Tumkukani, i hope someone reads these postings. We need as citizens to mount public pressure like we did on the naming of the heros stadium.
It would seem that monkeys have very little brains.
ali lyamo
OMG! I hope this is not true. If so then Harry Kalaba is a Judas Iscariot that is sacrificing our national heritage/ a natural habitat for wildlife for a few silver coins. God save us from these myopic leaders. The warning to the infestor who’s conniving with PF that these guys will not be in power forever and when they are out of our way we the upright people of Zambia will ensure that you are kicked out of that place without any compensation. You think you can come here from wherever to bribe Kalaba and his minions, ransack our natural resources and get away with it, eh? Wait and see what made the ape have the pink patches on the haunches.
About 26,000 metres of diamond drilling and reserve circulation drilling has so far been completed to test the mineralisation of the defined resources. Mwembeshi Resource Limited has estimated a mine life of 25 to 40 years. The decision by ZEMA is that the mine developer should not go ahead with the project taking into account the outcome of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The adverse impact of open pit mining will permanently alter the landscape of the Lower Zambezi National Park and destroy its present tourism value.
Do you people network on linkedin.We debated this on linkedin like 2 years ago.The issue was because of an insufficient EIA which was submitted.A mineral expert with vast experience in EIAs hinted that the EIA has to be redone in order to address raised issues as of the report.The expert comments on the project are available on the web.Anybody with technical know how can review that.For further information just refer to the linkedin group,Zambia Mining Projects.The question anybody can ask now is. did the said project owners engage a reputable group to redo a compressive EIA? If the EIA was redone and it is available on ZEMA website and all issues have been addressed then there is no need to slow the project.
The presence of acid forming materials exposed as a result of surface mining can cause Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) which in turn may affect wild life by eliminating some species.
Large scale open pit mining in the Lower Zambezi National Park should also be opposed on the following considerations:
1. The proposed site is in the middle of the park and considered very sensitive as it is used as a refuge by animals during flooding. Mining will result in loss of animal life;
2. Construction of a power line by ZESCO and widening of the road network in the park will compromise the integrity of the park as one of the four parks earning the country the highest amounts of money; and
Democratic goverments enter into discussions with stakeholders over such sensitive and enviromental issues. How I wish I could have a one-to-one discussion with this minister just to find out whether he really knows what is at stake and hear the reason he has over ruled ZEMA. My feeling is he has scant knowledge about the environmental issues that are being sacrificed at the table of PF greed.
The gains from mining will be low in comparison to the impact on the environment. The project site’s copper content is estimated at 0.3% copper deposit. This is low considering that in other parts of the country where copper is being mined, the content is as high as 3% copper deposit
Liar, i am the one who was analysing the core. You are filthy liar
@ Sata’s Old Age Diaper tell me if you know rich Bornite is? Tell me how rich Chalcopyrite is? Tell me how rich Chalcocite is? These are the minerals found there besides the Cu carbonate minerals. You just yap without understanding the geological model of the area and how big the area is. You don’t even have a clue of the types of the minerals there and the hosting country rocks. If you go to South Africa, most of the towns like Joburg have been developed because of the mines. You don’t know that the other sectors that will benefit from the mines: 1) Electricity will find its way to the nearby villages. 2) Farmers in the area will find easy market nearby the mines. 3) Zambian suppliers will get richer. 4) Jobs will be created. 5)Nice schools will be built in the area.
Iwe BBC stop being an arsehole! So, you support the fact that an open pit mine should done in the middle of the LZNP? You are truly a clown! Bloody basket!
Iwe BBC stop being an arsehole! So, you support the fact that an open pit mine should be done in the middle of the LZNP? You are truly a clown! Bloody basket!
@mundiaM, always resorting to insults. You are just a slave to the devil. Let that insult be diverted to you mother or father. I raised some points and questions which I believe you as mundiaM who boasts of vast knowledge in your tribe to answer me nicely and intelligently. The question is why allowing the investor to spent billions of kwacha in an area the government (MMD) knew that they won’t be given the consent to go ahead and mine? If they decide to say pay us back the money they spent on the project, is Zambia going to manage to pay back. So debate objectively baba and resort to insults. Why getting over pissed off as if Zambia is your own creation? Is this going to be the first mine? Get a life and stop insulting Mr intelligent. Debate like, Cindy and others who are objective.
Can ACC open a folder with this fools name on it? This is a man who has frozen all Chiefs from handing out land citing corruption and mismanagement, but has gone and reversed a stand by ZEMA- and btw bravo to you for developing teeth ZEMA, to do the exact same thing! What possible other reason can a man in office a few months evaluate, understand and overturn the considered opinion of experts apart from a fat account in the Caymans?
Secondly, the lower Zambezi is the most developed in terms of four and five star camping, birding and fishing resorts in the country, constantly fully booked and of great repute. What kind of damage are we doing to our tourist industry? Would Kenya do this? Not for some greedy non native country to rape even more of our land! Shame on you Kalaba, SHAME!!!!!
This is a poor, dangerous, and destructive decision. The President must stop this madness.
How can a madman stop madness in others?
Face the fact – we have an insane IDI0T in state house.
Pollution, smog, shanty compounds, Chubuku cartons, heavy machinery, and an open pit in the heart of a National Park.
PF’s legacy to Zambia indeed!
ZEMA is the competent body to guide the govt on industrialization vis-a-vis environment. Environmental experts everywhere know how industrialization has left devastating effects on the ecosystem and biophysical elements in countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh, Brazil, etc. industrialization leaves more harm than good: the environment is destroyed beyond regeneration while the mining activities contribute less to local economy but more to foreign economies where all profits are circulated. Industrialization should not be implemented without due attention to the requirements of sustainable development. The proposed mining project in lower zambezi is a complete contradiction of sustainable development, and sadly GRZ continues to sing about sustainable development which they do not respect…
The mine will create jobs and bring some good foreign exchange.period.
@Archangel – I am an ex-ZCCM miner, and trust me being a low grade copper ore, this new Mine will mostly only create casual (temporary) jobs for the short period it will exist, and it will create temporary infrastructure, BUT the damage to the environment it will cause will be permanent. Which part of this statement do you fail to understand?
Good foreign exchange? More money in our pockets?
BULLSH1T! More money in the MINISTERS pocket, yes. Ordinary Zambians get a big hole in the ground and debt that their children have to repay.
Ben and Cactus, this f00l calling himself archangel must be Harry Kalabas relative or wife. How else would any sober and dicerning individual be speaking from the wrong hole?
This decision by Kalaba is actually tantamount to madness and must be reversed forth with!
Blind folly indeed, you can not even get the investors on the Copperbelt to pay their fair share which forex are you talking about? Which jobs are you talking about? Unskilled causal workers.
Sad but sooner nor later the mining would still have happened anyway
The bembas will flood the place killing and eating any animal seen. Why are bembaz like nigerians. You find them in uk. Russia. Usa. Rsa. China. Dubai. Zema must seek help fron intefrnational agencies. Sata is a curse to humanity.
Whats the point of having the Environmental Management agency? it is equiped with technocrats to assess the costs and benefits of certain undertaking to the environment. even if we are desperate for investors it shouldn’t be at the expense of our environment and animals. this decision is not from lands minister, its from way up! if i where in the united states or any country where environmental protection is strong, we would have protested until such a stupid decision is reversed.
Even here in Zed you can protest. Start the revolution. dont be discouraged
@Kwiyo, you know what happens in Zambia now.
You protest and Sata sends the police to arrest you on fabricated and trumped up charges. Then you go to Court and his auntie, the “acting” Chief Justice will fix you for good.
The law has collapsed under PF. The family forest can blatantly steal public money and be assured no action will be taken.
Can we as citizens file a restraining order in courts on this issue till we bring in experts to determine the impact on the environment and future generations?
This is the biggest problem of politicians: they are MYOPIC. And this the danger of giving them so much authority to decide even on issues they are not experts in. They bark about “vision 2020, vision 2030, vision bla bla” without a single effort of commitment to the requirements to achieve those visions. The whole world is trying to fight for the preservation of nature, the environment against further human damage, and here is a fo.o.lish grade 7 politician in Zambia who overturns the strong recommendations of a competent body ZEMA…
bribes bribes bribes bribes….
In fact many of us signed petitions online the first time the project was proposed. After our petitions the project was “put on hold”. At the same time in 2011 the park was being considered for status of World Heritage Site by UNESCO because it is in category II protected area ( all national parks) meant for ecosystem protection and recreation. So to hear that a fo.olish, myopic, corrupt, grade 7 politician has overturned the ZEMA Environmental Impact Assessment on lower zambezi makes my heart bleed! This calls for a national mourning! Once environment is destroyed, that’s the end, no repair!!!
Simuusa left the office and now his rot..ten successors have theirs hands free…. :((
I am an ex-ZCCM miner, and I know that being a low grade copper ore area, this new Mine will mostly only create casual (temporary) jobs for the short period it will exist, and it will create temporary infrastructure in order to make profit, BUT the damage to the environment it will cause will be permanent. Which part of this statement do you fail to understand?
Equally no one benefits from Wildlife Resources. Of all the tour operators based in zambia only two percent of their earnings were banked in Zambia the rest in off shore accounts. So none of the two ventures gives Zambia anything worth talking about just crumbs . So called environmentalist are just big mouth for their own benefits not Zambians. After all Zambia has over 35% of its land mass under proctected status either as Gameparks/GMA or Forests, so what is the fuss all about.
@G Kaunda, are you seriously saying you fail to see that whereas you can reverse and reclaim a Tourism Venture that is not benefiting the local community and Country, you CANNOT reverse permanent damage to the environment? What will your future generations say to your comment? Do you think about them at all?
You are just an uninformed and misguided fellow. Your opinion is so warped and empty. Myopic people like you like supporting such dangerous decisions without taking a second to think. I need not repeat what we the opposed have already said but to let you understand that there are always two sides to every scenario and in this case the ills outweigh the flimsy benefits.
G. Kaunda, I surelly hope you are impotent and will never have children and you must also be a socio-path ready for an assylum. For that would be the only state of mind to be forgiven for having such a warped sense of reasoning. The tour, game, bird and fish camp operators may not be Zambians, but as God knows in heaven, they are simply earning a living from the environment with minimum damage. If to day for example we erased down Mukumbi Safari lodge which is in the Kafue National Park, elephants, lions and all wild creatures in that area would be swarming in this same place in no time at all.
On the other hand once that open pit mine is exploited for copper and abandonned no wildlife in terms of big game and fish will ever inhabit this area. Please start reasoning G. Kaunda!
G. Kaunda I will not be shocked to hear you say “lets kill all the animals and eat because people are starving” without thinking about the future.
@mundiaM do not mention God. I don’t think you know God. In your earlier comments you were insulting someone as an a.s.s hole. Maybe your God is a devil and not the true living almighty God. So leave our creator in this debate because you are not a christian. Go to Australia and see how they are managing the mines and the national park together. Don’t just talk because some of us are close to technology.
What absolute rubbish. The tourism operators in the Lower Zambezi were the first in the country to start working with the government to better protect this particular piece of natural heritage which, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was virtually poached out. They formed their own conservation NGO – Conservation Lower Zambezi – which successfully formulated a model whereby it works in conjunction with the cash-strapped and under-resourced ZAWA to protect and conserve the park. The same tourism operators have banded together to form the country’s FIRST community partnership park in the Chiawa GMA – a natural reserve abutting the national park which DIRECTLY benefits the Chiawa communities in terms of a tourism levy. In addition, countless CAREERS (not just jobs) have been created.
Unfortunately PF will not be dislodged come 2016. very unfortunate that a minister can override such an important order by the environmental council. Animals need to live also. what a mess we Africans are to the environment. Look at how dirt we have kept our towns
I agree with you , we may be seing PF beyond 2016 in power because of selfishness of the opposition ,by the way we have even lost count of the how many they are.Their eyes are all glued towards state house hence spliting the votes (come 2016 )of those who may wish to have change of government.
This is so sad, what if the use of having ZEMA if a minister can simply overturn their decision. there was a huge uproar forcing mines in NW province to follow directives from ZEMA by GRZ, perhaps those investors would have done better to simply ignore ZEMA and grease the ministers pocket!
Does the draft constitution address educational qualifications of ministers? of course if it does it will not resolve issues around qualified people that cannot think like Winter Kabimba but it will remove people like Kalaba who simply do not have a functioning brain. Somehow when he opened his mouth he saw sense in what he was saying? GOD SAVE US!
Zambia has gone to the dogs or is it the dogs that have come to Zambia? The PF Zealots here that seem to want to glorify anything PF does need to understand that one day there will be no Zambia for your children and grand children. The current Government is eating for themselves here. One day we will be a land of nothing but huge craters where mining ravaged a once beautiful country. Has any of you same zealots been to the Copperbelt? Places where mining has stopped because there is no ore left have been permanently damaged. Do you think expatriates that mined there years ago give a damn about that? No they don’t. However, thats land that cannot be used for anything else unless you can fill those craters. Harry Kalaba is simply eating thats why he can allow such trash! GOD SAVE US!
Greedy being!
I seriously don’t know what Environmental Law is doing in our beloved Zambia
Very Good Move bwana Minister, People need Jobs. Not elephants and lions, but i hope you Got clearance from King Cobra, NOT like what Mwamba did, In our Govt. we work on collective agreement, no individual decissions from Tuma stupid ministers.
Anyoko – how shortsighted you are. How many jobs will be lost when tourists stop coming to the Lower Zambezi to see its elephants and lions?
it doesnt make sense to keep lions that if properly planned can muiltiply at the expense of mineral exploitation which will add tangible value to the economy than animals which for years will nt make any traceable value to the economy the only way is to come up with a good EIA which will address remidial measures to minimise the effects of mining.
I can not help it but use terms like short shortsightedness,irresponsible for the future generations’ national heritage and to say the least madness on the the part of the decision makers to have made such an environmentally damaging decision.Environmental damage is faster than repair.Mining in the park is not investment at all.It is detrimental and contradicts the same interests we as a nation are supposed to protect;Our natural resources.So what then does the future hold?When we say such a decision is testimony to lack of focused planing we mean it looks only on short term benefits.It would be wise to rescind this unwise decision.The environmental agency is right!
There is gold in lower Zambezi. It is not copper Zambezi is interested in. There will be gold mining in lower Zamezi and poison (mercury etc.) will be used to separate gold from other ores. And with water it affects fields and houses of miners.
@anyoko, have you Thor about the longevity of the mine given the low Copper concentration? can u therefore compare the economic benefit of the two in the long term?
@Phil, much about the soundness of the matter between your ears can be deduced from your command of the written word. I therefore understand why you see sense in this decision by HE the Chumbu munshololwa- CNP.
Iam sending spears and pangazz and home made muzzle loaders to the area. If you see any chineese human setting up stuff, bring him down and feed him to lions.
ZP I wish you were really serious! In Europe, no one would try anything as stup!d as this or the tree huggers would make mince meat out of him! There is need to ensure this project doesn’t proceed!
No doubt in my mind that some thug in govt received payments for the ruling to be overturned. The next two and half years will be key in deciding the future of this country for decades to come. I worry for Zambia. PF out, ASAP.
Lusaka times and bloggers slowly becoming like zambianwatchdog. whats wrong here. the game park has been there for years. what did u benefit from it apart from grz constant remitance of funds to game rangers who happened to be unprofitable parasites. tomoro its your brother who is going to be employed by the same mine
It’ s not necessarily the copper that they are after but the animals in the Lower Zambezi National Park and very soon all the species of animals wiped out. It’ s copper/ animals in the game park and then some one cheats to say he’ s allergic to corruption. Bluntant lies day in and day out, what a country.
You are right my friend. Bottoms – Up approach.
Those commenting and passing negative comments are completely insane and doesn’t know anything about Kangaluwi Project in Lower Zambezi. I worked there from 2005 to 2010. The license was given to Zambezi Resources by the MMD. Why did they give them if they knew that the area is in a national park? It is a big resource that cannot be left idle. Besides the area is 40 km away from where the actual habitat of the animals are. In Australia, there are mines in the park and the mines are taking good care of the animals. The tourist the park will improve tremendously. I am proud to be one of the pioneers of that project. Ask those in MMD why they allowed them to explore there. Besides the investor spent billions of kwacha and you want that money to go nto waste? Zambians surprise me.
Clearly you have not seen the small print of those mining contracts in Australia and how closely they are monitored by gov’t agencies…I highly doubt if these politicians have even bothered to include such clauses. You think about this; if KCM can pollute the air and water being used by humans with impunity what of an area inhabited by wildlife.
Wake up!!
Have you read the EIZ report they did on the same project. If you haven’t, then go and get a copy and read.
@ CNN 1.What researched and approved criteria have you employed to coin some bloggers as “insane”? 2. Does giving a comment that you perceive as negative amount to insanity? 3. Does having worked in the Lower Zambezi from 2005-2010 make you know “everything” regarding the EIA? 4. Does it imply therefore, that, the Minister’s move is conventional and will establish an environmentally-friendly Project because the MMD was the author of the licence for mining in the Lower Zambezi? 5. Is the socio-economic, political and technological facet of Australia and Zambia the same for you to establish your comparative hypothetical conceptualization? 6.Since the Project will be located 40km frm the park, then the environment in that Project area won’t be impacted negatively?
@Mirriam Mkosha a questions for you. 1) Why going ahead and give the tenement area to explore knowing very well that, that is the National Park? Australia and Zambia are two different countries but NOT WITH TECHNOLOGY. The area is hilly and rough and you don’t expect animals to live in hilly terrains. There are a few stray animals offcourse. Animals like to live in plain flat terrains. Sorry I may have used the word ” insane” but look at the pathetic language bloggers use to defame the president. 2) Why did ZEMA requested for EIZ report? It is because the report can be accepted should they address all environmental issues. If they don’t address, the permit is denied. Simple. 3) I worked there and never saw a single tourist passing through to go and view animals. It is an idle area.
@CNN:
Quote: “The license was given to Zambezi Resources by the MMD. Why did they give them if they knew that the area is in a national park?”
You obviously forget so easily, or you are deliberately being disingenuous by such a statement. These are folks (MMD) who even wanted to sale/privatize public schools all for love of money. And now you are surprised that they (MMD) gave a mining license to a private company to mine in the middle of a national park? To these people, the was nothing sacred for as long as there was some personal benefits accruing to some BIGWIG in govt—this is how Siliya got herself in trouble.
I can only hope this Govt (PF govt) can listen and hear what people are saying and not fall into the same bad and myopic ways of managing our natural resources.
You go and stay in Australia WHOEVER YOU ARE. Zambia will not just be made of holes at the expense of your greed.
And people passing negative comments are the ones with jobs. Other people need jobs as well. The only thing the government can do is to make sure the animals and the environment are protected as enshrined in the the EIZ report. The visit to the national park by the tourists will improve because the roads to the mining will be tarred. There will be a lot of development. The animals won’t escape. When I worked there i never saw animals escaping. If anything we used to make ponds of water to feed some buffaloes which used to come nearby the camp during summer. Technology has improved and the animals will be taken care of. Previously there used to be a gold mine in Chakwenga in the 1920s near Kangaluwi. The area is rich. However with high technology, the environment can be taken care of.
Allo Sambians awas taught in venecular from greyti 0 – 4. bati washi made minister and ova turned decisions made by masters degree holders. am shimati.
How much is that guy pocketing?????????
Just wondering: 1. Why do we have Environmental Management Agency whose recommendations can just be overruled by a single Minister depending on his mood and appetite for money. 2. So far as a nation we don’t have the capacity to monitor the damage being caused by the current mines in the country, How are we going to monitor Kangaluwi Copper Mines. 3.This is a home of a lot of animals which cannot talk or complain about the dangers to their lives, the only thing we are are going to notice will be when the animals get sick, disappear or die. Bottoms up indeed.
What is need of expanding the mining operations, if we the voters do not benefit? Conserve our lands and let the animals live in peace.
Zambians do not please pretend that you like conserving nature more than the development that is being proposed. If the same land was to be given out as commercial and residential plots, the same critics would have been the first ones to go and bribe the local authorities for their own plots! The development that we all see including the roads being constructed around the country which is opening up the country for economic development is due to “MAD PEOPLE” who did not want to listen to these self-proclaimed “CONSERVATIONISTS OR ENVIRONMENTALISTS” who after objecting to such developments are the ones to first benefit from them. Governments are there to make hard unpopular decisions like this one for the benefit of the people including critics. By the way is Hon. “HARRY” and not…
Another danger to already polluted air and inviting earthquakes for nothing. Just concerned of comforting their short lives on earth forgetting the danger they are exposing to our future generations shame. I wish these people sometimes consider asking us the stake holders than imposing anything on us.
You are welcome Kaponya. I know that you live in a house and not on branches of trees because that house in which you are living disturbed the flora and fauna that should have been protected but because you needed shelter more than what was there you decided to destroy the environment there. Please be real and not copy things.
God ‘s blessings comes when humans start caring of other created creatures,this pleases Jehovah,on this Zambia is digging its own grave both from the spiritual and physical point duality.in USA their was a proposal to construct a oil pipe line( Kingston pipe)but the environmental groups objected and the gov’t have since put it on hold for further consultation.
I think you are trying to hard to praise a Government that is unpraisable. To start with you go and drive on Kitwe Chingola road. In case you thought those hump like things are built into the road, they have been cause by weakness in the ground below caused by mining. You are being paid by Kabimba to post positives where there are none. You stay in Lusaka and have never been to the Copperbelt. You are just paid to praise. Ask people in Chingola what KCM or Anglo before it gave them. Ask Kitwe and Mufulira what MCM has given them. Stop being so cheap and stooping to the K50.00 you are being paid to post useless unthought through remarks. Go back to George Chellah and you other masters. What has your grandmother benefited from your being a sellout for K50.00 ONLY!!!
GOOD MOVE WE NEED JOBS.
What jobs are those? Casual workers with no contracts who will probably be helping themselves to the wildlife because they are lowly paid.
But at what cost Chikubabeniso? Why did we not object to the construction of the bottom road?
The bottom road don’t affect most of the living creatures but benefit them,eg,fire in bush alot of the animals will run to a bare land,the impact of mining is more harmful than construction of a tarred or gravel road.
Another silly minister overrules ZEMA at a stroke of a pen and some imbec*le somewhere will post on his boss’s Facebook page that they are allergic to corruption….only in Zambia.
Please bloggers do not water down your valid arguments by mixing them with hate and malice because the intended audience may choose to ignore everything you are saying. Personally I don’t support this project because its in the middle of the park and I think we have not ran out copper ores elsewhere in the country. Most importantly with the current taxing regime, we are not getting much from our minerals. This mine will also be hundred per cent foreign owned. Lets leave some of the copper until we learn how mine it and process it ourselves in hundred years from now maybe.
Spartan…..I wish you were our president. Thanks
Thanks mp. I will consider it but only after MCS, HH, Nawakwi …! lol.
What we need in the constitution is to criminalise the offences of ignoring or overiding professional advice. These politicians will always not respect the analysis of experts until we have such a law. Unfortunately even us profesionals have fallen pray to these politicians because we need to put food on the table and there is no protection from our profesional bodies, especially EIZ.
If ZEMA is not satisfied with the EIS this guys submitted then it should be outrightly rejected.The NGO,CLZ or conservation of lower Zambezi did a good job of raising this issue with regard to the EIS mwembeshi resources submitted.In my opinion. the GRZ should further engage more reputable experts and definitely should reject this project if it’s impact will not be contained.Then again mining has it’s own disadvantages.Even current new mines before they were developed,obviously they displaced a lot of people and animals included.Often announcement for public hearings and debates of EIS for any project are published in the local papers.From this debate have found myself in, my take is that very few people pays attention to that.The EIS for this project was published some two years ago.I…
Icongweni baficourler on one hand you cry youth unemployment on the other you say ma rubbish when opportunities are being created. STOP BIENG NICOPOOMPS BA SWINE!…….
In my opinion ZEMA did only part of their work. Copper and other materials in the area need to be mined at any cost. What ZEMA needed to do is to recommend what needs to be done to minimise or avoid the perceived damage. You cannot stop the mining completely. Zambia has always depended on mining and shall remain so until other avenues come on board. There is no need to continue talking of copper ole if we are not going to mine it. Do not just condemn everything ministers do. If that was the case there would have been completely no development in the world. Even farming destroys land. ZEMA propose ways to minimise the damage.
@john C. You are write. It is called mitigating measures! The environment will always be affected by human activities. For me its actually the least of my worries. The environmentalists will always be against most big projects. They give their professional advice just like lawyers but its up to the minister to take it or not after looking at other considerations.
PF is really getting desperate and making grave mistakes like this, we need knowledgeable people in these positions, a whole minister coerced into
such a dangerous project,
We have to look at all avenues for cash manee. GRZ is needing cash now to pay the pipos salaries. You want GRZ workers to starve ? idot.
who is more important pipo or elephants ? even england had lions but the lions dies because of development. So should we remain with no development because of lions ?
In the interest of mother Zambia & its future. Can Gen Miyanda take up this matter before our courts. Your action on this mata wil be in the interest of us the Zambians. No one wil do it part from you becoz the many Zambians jst like talking, complaining & condemning no action oriented. I hv u as my hope where there’s Injustice application or wrong doing
Gadffi ,,why has it to be miyanda, you can also do that.
UK, Germany, France all had lions, bears and other animal. But those animals had to be sacrificed for development. Now they tell us dont sacrifise your animals, they want us to not develop i think so. who is more important development or animals ?
Think before you utter marubbish and stay with no development
You are the one who is not thinking here. How much ‘development’ have the mines brought us? How much does mining bring in to our country through taxes? Do you how many tourists visit the parks and bring in revenue? When was the last you visited Chingola town..the Headquaters of KCM? Tell me did you pass through good roads, did you open the taps to see the colour of the water?
Ba @mule please; how many countries in the world have done just fine by developing the TOURISM INDUSTRY? And are you telling me that TOURISM is called an INDUSTRY because of lack of words?
Tourism is an industry just like mining is! And if developed and managed well, tourism can surpass even mining as a major contribute to a nation’s GDP. For instance, countries in the Caribbean, not blessed with minerals or diverse animal species, have depended on TOURISM as the engine of their economies. In our case, we are blessed with both minerals and animals, instead of exploiting both to the fullest, we tend to look at tourism as an annoyance fit for scraps from our national budget. Countries like Kenya, south Africa, Namibia and Botswana know what tourism can contribute to the economy.
My Opinion, FYI 98% of the development in Zambia is from mining revenues. even your education in zambia was funded by those revenues. We just have bad management of the mining resources, otherwise you cant compare revenues from copper and other minerals to resources from animals iwe. Ala
How does one go out setting up an injunction for them not to go ahead. I’m an ordinary citizen
LZNP is run by a few selfish, gullible and powerful foreigners with great support from the west. They will do anything to oppose mining in this park. What percentage of Zambians has benefited from tourism activities in LZNP? People people you surprise me! Tourism and infrastructure development don’t marry? A tour operator would rather preserve the primitive life style of the natives than improve their living in the name promoting tourism. I am conversant with tourism in Zambia and I dare any selfish corporate freak to challenge me. Who doesn’t know that LZNP tour operators support CLZ in the name of anti-poaching in order to protect their businesses? The benefit is to the tour operators than the native Zambian living on the peripheries of the park. Challenge me!!
I just got off the phone with the Minister; he was concerned with the high unemployment rate in the lion and elephant communities, hence the porposed location in a game park. Excellent foresight by PF!!
How many native Zambians can afford the expensive camps inside the LZNP of course disregarding the poor travel culture? I am not talking about the lesser camps like Kanyemba, Mvuu Lodge etc. Let’s be realistic people and don’t just yap! Do you know how poor the conditions of service are? Natives are employed on casual basis year in year out what with lack of monitoring from the government wings. World heritage, says who? They slaughtered all their wildlife where they come from. In as much as PF is allegedly unpopular we shouldn’t demonize the minister’s decision. If the benefits of a mine outweighs those of tourism to Zambians then I opt for the former.
Zambian copper is being extracted and taken out of the country for free by foreign companies. Our reward for all of that, is a destroyed environment which they leave behind, never to be restored. When the copper ore is finished, the mining activity will cease. With all jobs gone, the place will become another ghost town.
On the other hand, tourism is a non-perishable resource. It continues for ever and ever into the future. Many economies around the world survive mainly on tourism. Tourism supports a lot of industries in an economy, not just the expensive camping sites you are referring to.
The minister and the PF government have acted purely out of greed and without regard to the future ramifications of their decision on the economy.
Yes tourism is non perishable, that is a valid point but have you done your research on how photographic tourism benefits a Zambian? The benefactor of LZNP is the overseas travel agent who milks millions of dollars for selling this park with flowery marketing terminologies like ‘….the worlds remaining paradise’. You think they would go down quietly? For brevity’s sake, the world benefits more from this park than Zambians who are the authentic owners of this resource. Let’s us not base the argument on rhetoric, the economic benefits of this park have not trickled down to the right people. I speak with facts on the ground. I am not a politician but the authorities are spot on this one.
@Me: Tourism is like agriculture. You can’t take it way from the country. Over time, we have seen more and more Zambians getting involved in agriculture even at a commercial level. Similarly, over time, we should see more and more Zambians getting involved in tourism. Livingstone is one good case where we are beginning to see the involvement of locals in tourism. Chief Mukuni is one good example I can cite.
Across the vast continent of Africa we are already seen a rapid growth of the middle income class. With the increase of the middle income class, we should expect to see more and more African tourists, a potential market indeed for Zambia to exploit.
Already Zambia is vying to host the Africa Cup in 2019. Don’t you think that if that goes through, it could potentially bring a lot of African tourists to Zambia? Isn’t this one way the country can showcase its touristic attractions to the African tourist of the future?
You may not see all this right now. However, given time, you should be able to see tourism in Zambia grow and becoming a key player in the economy. Mining is a disaster, even in countries like South Africa. Ever seen miner strikes lately?
Thru ZEMA various Environmental Policies have been effectively implemented & Zambia so far has best European Environmental Laws which are working against us. Our European friends considered Development first then environmental issues later.
To avoid these antagonistic ZEMA should work hand in hand with concerned Ministries, besides the unemployment rate is rising every month & graduates are offloaded into society every week. Let’s implement policies that will favor us not ama copy & paste.
Zambia has a lot of natural resources which need to be exploited but on the other hand poverty levels are high. We can exploit & develop or conserve & suffer.
China & US doesn’t even support certain Environmental Guidelines that work against their Development. Ba Zed we need development
Huyu mtu ni waziri mjinga sana.Kwani sharia za mazingira hazina umuhimu Zambia ama amepewa kibali na dikteta ambaye anaishi plot one? Stupidity of a govt with class 7 ministers.
Destroying an industry which can last for hundreds of years (tourism) and replacing is with an industry that will set our environment into flames and lasting for only about 20 years is wisdom according to the PF. This is prompted by immediate gratification or greed – more money in your pockets in 90 days!
But years from today, Zambia’s population will have doubled, all the copper mines closed and all our copper taken to Europe and Asia, Zambia could still lean and depend on tourism. The PF are creating double tragedy for Zambia’s future.
am forming a Facebook page called save zambezi ! all who can join will use the platform to share your voice . i have a friend who works for save our water/rivers international lets put pressure on them people .they shouldn’t ruin mother zambia all for greed!!
Kooms I hope you are serious, because that is a good step, next should be to file an injunction
If you guys are serious and not just blowing smoke , I’m on board there should be some kind legal recourse which can be taken to block this , it time we stood up and not just posturing.
My goodness, don’t we have enough mines already? What have the mines benefited our country that now we even want to take away the little pristine habitat that wild animals have been left with?
So far we have proved to be very bad managers of the mineral resources we have been able to tap into. I beg we leave something for our children, grandchildren, and future generations of this beautiful country to exploit. Maybe they will have better senses how to fully benefit from these God given resources.
Zambia will be here centuries after we are all dead and rotten, and I sure hope Zambians of that generation will look back at our generation and be proud of the legacy we leave them. Especially ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY. Animal extinction and craters in the ground shouldn’t be the type!
hmmm…. another piece of land sacrificed for selfish gains. If I was the director of ZEMA I’ll no doubt tender in my resignation… Zambia PLEASE wake up!!!!!!!!!!
Talk is cheap so blogging. Isn’t there some kind of legal recourse which can be taken to stall or halt this project?
I have to acknowledge that damage will be done to the environment but let’s weigh the values of Environment Vs Development. LZNP has been there b4 PF came into power and revenues generated from there have not being significant to our economy and the tourism there is as good as dead.
Mines on the other hand are non-renewable and have adverse effect on the environment & human health even though it contribute to the economy.
Here we are a poor Nation siting on valuable natural resources with the vast land unexplored yet blaming one another for our poor governance & poor economy.
Mining has been the backbone of our economy for centuries now, it has supported all unproductive industries in one way or the other.
So let’s weigh Environment Vs Development.
Phil. The Lower Zambezi National Park generates in excess of $100-million per annum in income for ZAWA/Zambia. It is one of the country’s top performing national parks and its tourism industry is thriving. It has been a successful model of private sector stakeholders working with local government/national government and local communities since the start of the 1990s, when its tourism operators launched a pioneering and ground-breaking conservation NGO which also performs invaluable community outreach and increach programmes which are of enormous benefit – practical and financial – to the communities in the Chiawa GMA. The tourism industry has provided thousands of jobs for local people, the majority of which have become lifelong careers. That’s why lions are important. And mines aren’t.
Zambians should do it like Zimbabweans empower yourselves team up to form a zccm and borrow cash,then the Govt can go out of it way to do such an outrageous thing as to give land to these chaps when they dont even add real value to our economy.Stop it now.
Get your facts right – even in South Luangwa where there are so many tour operators less than a 1000 locals are directly employed in the photo safari companies. Who are you trying to hoodwink? Most jobs are inferior, low paying and on casual basis. They are actually bemoaning the lack of revenue from hunting and the impact is there for all to see. Hear me me right, I don’t support hunting but the finances realized from hunting safaris outweighs what photo safaris are directly pumping into the communities . This is a huge debate altogether so let’s not go there. And the NGO operating in the area has a prime objective of protecting of servicing the tour operators than the local community. I speak from the ground not those ‘technocrats’ siting in air conditioned offices in Lusaka.
@ Umuntu Mutwe: I find your logic flawed. Is it not true that Zambia has been mining copper long before our grandfathers were born and yet still remains poor? Will the low grade copper found in Lower Zambezi magically change this picture?
The argument being made by the majority on this blog is that tourism is a better industry than mining. This is true, anywhere in the world, not just in Zambia. Tourism is booming in Europe. May be for every single flight to Africa, there are more than 200 such flights to Europe daily. S. African and Egypt take two thirds of the one Africa flight. And yet Europe is not even a one fifth the size of Africa. The same Europeans who have preserved their rivers, are here helping us destroy our ecosystems purely out of greed!
kwasila, we dont own our country anymore. anytime soon we will be begging to stay in zambia under the current l*a*e*r*s*ip
My president ,,I always believe in you but I differ on this reckless mining that doesn’t benefit zambians at all..please cancel this transaction.it is the expected .
Looks like someone paid someone!
Bravo Hon. Kalaba.
You Zambians will never cease to amaze me! A few disgruntled and selfish individuals just up to “FILLING THEIR BELLIES” in the name CONSERVATION at the expense of the so much needed social and economic development for the region and the country at large. For how long has the LZNP been in existence? How much have the people benefitted other than the few of you counting birds and animals for some NGO’s? Right now those TOO EXPENSIVE JUST FOR CAMPING LODGES are deserted for the dry season. You opposed even the setting up of PROTEA HOTEL cause the services can not much them.
Go to South Africa’s KRUGER NATIONAL PARK and see PALABORA MINE in the middle of Kruger National Park and learn how Mining and Tourism can co-exist for the benefit of a nation.
Have you considered that although S. Africa has been mining gold, platinum etc. for centuries, very little, if any, of S. Africa’s mining wealth has ever trickled to the poor black people in that country? South African miners are still among the poorest people in the world and least paid.
Besides, do we have to go to S. Africa to see the destructiveness of mining on our ecosystems? Don’t we have much and enough of that to see on our Copperbelt and in and around Kabwe, reputed to be the most polluted city in the whole world?
The miners in Kruger National Park may be exercising restraint as far as polluting the environment is concerned because S. Africans themselves are doing the mining. In Zambia, where foreigners do the mining, the story is starkly different.
The impact on the environment of having a mine in a National Park is obvious and cannot be disputed. Looking at what has happened for example in Mufulira where there have been people falling ill due to the pollution taking place. People will be getting there to see nature i.e if they will even go.
Secondly, the Zambia Environmental agency is the authority and expert in terms of making such assessments and so the minister and basically practiced dictatorship by over-ruling the decision by ZEMA.
Because of his personal involvement in the matter, he needs to exculpate himself to the public to prove that he and others in government are not benefiting personally from this ruling. This is definitely fishy and requires the A.C.C to look into it. It could even be abuse of authority
I agree that he must be investigated. This character is selling his country for thirty pieces of silver in broad day light. He must not be allowed to get away with it.
people look @ chingola a nice town peaceful and @ one time the cleanest in zambia 90% credit goes to the mine look @ luangwa a very hot place with nothing to live for except fish,people being eaten by crocodile and lack of electricity can someone justify the existence of the park to the well being of the local people.
You thinking is weird. If the world constituted the likes of you, there would be no environment left. are you one of those who have been bribed?
I feel Honorable Minister Kalaba is one of the most rational and hard working Ministers in Govt at the moment. But this decision is a bad one.