The Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) says the Trident Mine project will not add value to the locals of senior Chief Mesele in Solwezi unless the government acts to clearly defines compensation plans for the residents.
Early this year, FIRST QUANTUM Minerals (FQM) launched the US$1 billion (about K5 trillion) Trident Mine in Solwezi which will become Zambia’s largest single mine with production capacity of 300,000 tonnes of copper per year.[pullquote]CCZ finds it strange that the investors are the ones informing residents about relocations, and other related matters; where are the people’s representatives?[/pullquote]
The new mine would give birth to an equally new town with an airport, smelter and a Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) besides creating 2,000 jobs in the mines.
Construction of the mine and the new town is expected to commence at the end of this year.
The mine which should start copper production in 2014, would be located at Kalumbila in Solwezi district.
Despite the initial celebration of the coming of the new mine, residents of Mulele Village are now complaining of the looming displacements and demanding compensation.
The CCZ, as part of its Social and Economic Justice program, held a community meeting Chief Musele’s palace on Wednesday to discuss the impact of the Trident Mining project.
After the meeting, CCZ Social & Economic Justice Officer Juliet Ilunga presented a statement to North Western Deputy Permanent Secretary Joshua Kamanya in which the church is asking the government to quickly address displacement issues in the area.
“The Permanent Secretary for Northwestern province must without delay send a team of officials to Musele village in Solwezi, to go and hear the complaints that the local people have been raising regarding the displacements that are looming as a result of the opening of the new Trident (Kalumbila) Mine, situated about 155km along the Solwezi-Mwinilunga road,” the statement read in part.
Ms Ilunga noted that the government needs to address various issues which were currently affecting the local people in that area.
“Instead of celebrating the new investment, the surrounding community is complaining about the manner in which they have been treated,” she stated. “It seems the coming of the new mine has brought more misery among the local people who have said the new investors have destroyed their cassava fields and stopped the farmers from cultivating this season because the land now belongs to the Mine. If people cannot cultivate, what will they eat? Where will they get money to send their children to school? How will they pay their medical bills?”
Illunga stated that the State had the duty to protect the rights of its people and should not allow foreign investors to mistreat the locals who were the owners of the mineral resources.
“CCZ finds it strange that the investors are the ones informing residents about relocations, and other related matters; where are the people’s representatives?,” Ilunga stated. “The situation in Chief Musele’s area indicates that there is something seriously wrong with the way the mining program has been handled because the local people have a raw deal while the investors are smiling. CCZ will continue to follow up this matter until justice prevails.”
She also stated that CCZ had in the recent past raised ththe Trident Mine issue, with the Ministry of Mines under the previous government but there was no action taken.
“We want to reiterate that CCZ is not against foreign mine investors but we desire to see responsible investment where social justice and human dignity are upheld,” stated Ilunga.
The Social and Economic Justice program of CCZ advocates for transparency and accountability in the management of mineral resources to ensure that ordinary citizens benefit from the resources.
The government needs to act expeditedly and without fail!!!! Let the people be relocated to a decent land and be compensated accordingly. This is only fair and just. If the mine acquired this project legally and transparently, as should be the case, this shouldnt be a problem at all.
The whole program for licensing these mines should spell out clear and enforceable compensation rules rather than leave it to the “goodwill” of the mining companies and their government! ( The tail wagging the dog)
wake up Zambia. it nolonger “don’t kubebe.” these so called investors should be told the does and don’ts of our land and they must follow.it is corruption to watch your people surfer at the hands of foreigners.
The govt needs to act faster than before coz as things satnd today people will suffer. The displacement of people has also affected Chief Musele as his palace and entire village, school, local court etc. This is not time to let invesgtors off the hook, they have to adequately resettle people. What were the contetnts of EIA conducted before they were allowed to move on sight. Zambians lets wake up and I applaude th CCZ. It appears they are the only voice of the poor. Where is Solwezi West MP. Mr Mwanza. He should speak out louder than before.
THIS IS A LITIMUS TEST CASE FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT, MORE ESPECIALLY THAT THE ISSUE AT HAND IS FROM THE FORGOTTEN GIANT BUT NEW COPPERBELT AND FUTURE OF ZAMBIA.
NWP is statiscally amongst the two least developed provinces in Zambia. Currently, the chunk of Zambia’s wealth (mining) is coming from Kansanshi and Lumwana in NWP. Let not the injustice be exacerbated by getting the wealth from NWP for building Muchinga Province, where two universities are currently under construction. There should no longer be a difference between the towns in the copperbelt and those in NWP. The PF will never be forgiven if NWP does not catch up with the copperbelt in terms of infrastructure development and poverty reduction programmes. PF take this warning seriously.
the gorvernment should queckly look into this because many local poeple are just looking forward to see and get jobs.and those residents should be compasetet quickly and settlke them some where.so that many youths can get employed and stop moving around the streets.
am very moch happy and thank the almight God for giving us such a bleessing.but the question is that wen is the construction of the mine going to start because many youths are there comping and they are drinking too moch just to wait for them to start work.becalse they are fighting too moch.
pls our leaders, when are you going to have power over investors? why are we being treatd lik dis? i beg u stop dveloping india and adding welth on china, zambia z a blesd nation frm God. if u are a leader think twice b4 God thinks of yo panishmnt.
How can I meet the Economic Justice Officer? I have a lot of questions regarding this injustice.