THE Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has rejected a proposal by Australia’s Zambezi Resources to develop a US$494-million opencast copper mine in lower Zambezi national park because of environmental concerns.
ZEMA public Relations officer Irene Chipili said in an interview yesterday that decision was arrived after wide consultations with major stakeholders such Zambia World Life Authority who said the project would compromise the ecological value of the park.
Ms Chipili said the Environmental Impact Assessment Statement did not address several issues which included the copper leach process whose affluence could have affected with the ecosystem.
“The proposed site is not suitable for the nature of the project because it is located in the middle of a national park thus intends to compromise the ecological value of the part as well as the ecosystem,” Ms Chipili said.
In March this year, Zambezi Resources’ Zambian subsidiary Mwembeshi Resources proposed to start copper production at the Kangaluwe project in the Lower Zambezi National Park by 2015.
The investor projects to produce 15 million tonnes of copper per annum when the mine is fully operational.
During the construction stage, 500 local people were expected to be employed while during operations over 300 were expected to be given permanent jobs.
The firm spent US$12 million on the project since the granting of a licence in 2003.
But Ms Chipili said the project was suitable for the proposed site.
Excellent decision!
At least they made an application to mine as opposed to building a lodge or wild life scheme as a front for illegal mining.
I have a feeling it will finally happen. Watch this space.
it has its look you saw the future
Bravo! Hope you’ll not be over ruled by the illiterate politicians!
Lets just hope that some top officials do not see $$$$$$$ signs and over rule ZEMA. Preserve this copper until we find much more environmentally friendly methods of extraction.
Wise decision indeed
This is a good decision. Australia would also reject such a decision.
A great day for conservationist, environmentalists and posterity!! We need to preserve some prime areas of our country and leave them in a pristine state. Industrialist with top dollars in their pockets should not have their day at the expense of the environment. Government should promote more tourism ventures in the area to employ our people. The mining company should not bribe their way back to commence the project!
Brilliant decision, 500 jobs of unskilled workers mostly casual and 15 million tonnes per year of copper at 7% mineral royalty….no thanks! Please find another site.
Agencies like ZEMA and ECZ should be awarded more funding so as that they take up more inspectors and scientists. This is why we need technocrats making some decisions although I’m told the Ministry will make the final decision a final say on this one. Any clarifications are welcome???
hahahaha…500 jobs..thats crap..why degrade the environment over 300 permanent jobs..atleast if they said 5000…PF will employ the 500 as game rangers..period
ZEMA well done! We cannot destroy our birth right for 300 unskilled to semi-skilled jobs.
It can be safely done with strigent environmental controls. We need the jobs and and the forex from copper. The Aussies can do it environmentaly responsibly but not the chinese or indians
Its an open pit mine for crying out loud… what stringent environmental controls would you put it apart from shutting the dame place!!
Your pseudonym say it all!
MWASEVENZA NCITO BA ZEMA. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT IN ZAMBIA. WE DO NOT WANT OR NEED INDUSTRIES THAT ARE GOING TO DEPLETE OR DISTURB OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT JEHOVAH GOD GAVE ZAMBIA IS A SERIOUS GIFT TO JEALOUSLY GUARD AGAINST ANY ABUSE/MISUSE. THEY CAN MINE COPPER IN MANY PLACES IN ZAMBIA. WHY PARTICULARLY IN LOWER ZAMBEZI. NI SABOTAGE?
Good on us! Well decided.
And Lusaka Times, it is not Zambia World Life, but Zambia Wild Life, or is it not?
Bravo.
12.1. There are several gemstone mining licences in the North Luangwa National park as you blog.Salt is being mined (open cast mining operations) in the makadikadi salt pan in the Okavango delta in the makakadikadi pans national game park in Botswana right here in Africa and next door for that matter. Mining can be constrained place in an area of 5KM X 5KM. No discharge of processing effluent into natural drainage system, speed limits on access roads, fencing off mining area etc. Think outside the box. We need every dollar and people in ZAMBIA NEED JOBS. youths died in mpulungu recently in a stampede for jobs and others died at an army recruitment centrein a stampede for jobs.in my Youth days the army was for hopeless school dropouts. NOW THINK ABOUT THAT!
Theoretician, your theories are far fetched!!
Makadi kadi Salt Pans are a DESERT!!!!! Nothing except for desert-like small animals live there, WHILST THE BIODIVERSITY IN LOWER ZAMBEZI IS SO VAST & INCOMPARABLE TO THE MAKADI KADI – try to compare like to like!!!
What a stunning image. Fantastic virgin bush. Good decision not to allow mining in a game park. Its not possible to recreate a virgin bush once mining is exhausted.
Nobody has ever been to that location except the prospectors and some tribes back in centuries before, and some ZAPU freedom fighters used to have a base around there. And the Rhodesian forces chasing them. It’s a good question whether it might be more useful for mining since nobody uses it, but if it is polluting then we should be careful
Theoretician
With all due respect Zambia does not have the manpower to inspect such facilities…look at what is happening at KCM and their leaching extraction process. They are pollution everything from the water table to the atmosphere to the rivers.
Furthermore that 5km by 5km area may sound small to you but that area may contain ponds and historic feeding trails for Elephants and hippos. There are other sectors in the economy that will provide 500+ jobs we have a growing and merging economy. Please kindly give me an example of a Copper Open pit mine located in a wildlife conservation area.
* They are polluting everything
We must fight tooth and nail to protect our environment. Investors will come and mess up our envirnment, leave happy, then turn around and laught at us. One Zambia One Nation.
Jay Jay.
This one is for you who seems ignorant of FACTS.
There is a Uranium Mine in Kakadu National Park in Australia.
his copany could have created a succesful mine that operated in such sensitive location but the scare mongering way this story is produced seems the effect the sall minded who only see 300 jobs created.
The on flow of other jobs in the country is the big picture but some dont see that in their blinded ways.
Investment is based on FACTS.
Here is one for you.
There is some countries in this world who have standards and are followed to the law.
Uranium is worse than copper mining so learn something today when given the truth.
Please Mr. Sata give us a mine in Luangwa district we have suffered enough, I stay in Luangwa that picture they have shown is 70km from whare the mine will be located, the mine is behind the escapment animals have deserted the area because there is no water, we want these investers to build us schools for our children, people who will be working in the mines will be buying our farm produce so don’t just look at 300 jobs by the Mine even contractors will employ their own pipo, so indirectly over a thousand jobs will be created, these these NGO sponsored pipo who are saying we conserve wat should visit the Mine area and find out if there are animals there, pipo just comment without puting facts together you jst see the fake picture with an elephant u say conserve.
Peaceful Zambia
All I’m doing is engaging the blogger, if anything I’m eager to learn especially in an area I’m passionate about and ignorance is not the right description. I’m aware of the controversial $5billion Uranium mine located in Kakadu National Park, located in somewhere in the Northern Territory. That mine is forever on the news for the wrong reasons due to the widespread publicity regarding the potential danger of nuclear power and uranium mining, as well as objections by some indigenous groups. This controversy is significant because it involves a number of important political issues in Australia regarding the Native Title, the environment, and Federal-State-Territory relations. (cont’d)
In 2010 there were reports about radioactive water spilling into the Aboriginal community nearby and Kakadu’s World Heritage-listed wetlands if record rainfalls continued to deluge from the vast Ranger uranium mine.
On to the Zambian issue now, firstly we do not what criteria ZEMA used to reject this application BUT one thing I do know is our game parks are a sustainable income revenue source. Furthermore Zambia has only explored a mere 40% of her lands so there are abundance deposits elsewhere. Just the other day deposits of manganese where found in Northern Province and Gold deposits was discovered in Mumbwa.
16.1 Ukulya bwno and Jay Jay 19 Canadian Zinc Corp. ’s Prairie Creek mine in the Nahanni National Park Reserve. The area is prime habitat for Dall sheep, woodland caribou and grizzly bears. UNESCO declared the area a world heritage site in 1978. construction Of approve mine could begin late next year with production by late 2013. The company estimates building the mine would create 170 jobs, with about 220 jobs during the lifespan of the mine — expected to be at least 20 years.
16.1 and 19 See comment from @23 POOR. He is on the ground in Luangwa. I have been there , you turn to right (south just before Luangwa bridge on/off the GER) No industry/job opportunities to talk about only tujilijili. As we blog lets keep out feet on the ground & think about our poor folk. Few Zambian have the privileges you & I may have. They also deserve a decent life/job, send kids to school, put meals on the table. You may drive into LuanGwa with your posh SUVon that that potholed gravel road for picnic/holiday/game viewing and that satisfies you/your ego but what about them poor?
Theoretician
I’m looking at Canadian Zinc Corporation’s website and the photos Prairie Creek Mine in particular,I do not see anything stating that its an open pit mine; this more of an underground mine.
You still don’t get it do you, that there is nothing sustainable about open-pit mining in the area at the expense of wildlife. I did my secondary education in Eastern Province and I know the area very well and mining in that area is not the solution..there are other more innovative industries that can be created that the locals will truly benefit and not your foreign investors who will be selling the copper abroad…. do not be lazy and end up selling your great grandchildren’s land to the devil.
Wake up!
Brother Jay jay. See the same website in 12 months time and open pit operations will be well underway.Approval has just been granted. It not a question of laziness ( I work hard). but being open minded. On selling land our grandchildrens heritage consider the land that is given away to investors from SA, China, india etc by traditional leaders on 99 year leases. . Chief Kanyesha was in the news for giving awy land to investors at the expense of his subjects. These 99 year leases will be inherited by the investors children/kinsmen. Mining leases on the other hand are for 25 years only & if the life of mine is short the mining investor will be gone in under 25 years and the land remains with the locals. Let just ensure mitigation againist enviromental damage allow this investment of $494m
Let be practical and use what we have. 494m has been put on the table. But weturn it down and choose to wait for caravan towing tourists (from I dont know where) who will never inject this kind of money in Luangwa district in a thousand yeaars. A bird in hand is better than two in the bush!The people of luangwa (like poor) know what they want and they are best left to make this decision themselves.
“The survival of our wildlife is a matter of grave concern to all of us in Africa. These wild creatures amid the wild places they inhabit are not only important as a source of wonder and inspiration, but are an integral part of our natural resources and our future livelihood and well being.
In accepting the trusteeship of our wildlife we solemnly declare that we will do everything in our power to make sure that our children’s grand-children will be able to enjoy this rich and precious inheritance.
The conservation of wildlife and wild places calls for specialist knowledge, trained manpower and money, and we look to other nations to co-operate with us in this important task – the success or failure of which not only affects the continent of Africa but the rest of the world as well.”
Julius K. Nyerere, Arusha Manifesto, 1961
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