There is a strong perception that there is an asymmetrical power imbalance, which favours mining companies. Some of the critical issues that the Zambian government must act on include, first, the adjustment of the balance of power between government and mining companies. While people appreciate the government move, critics argue that the reasons why Zambia is not benefiting are known and the government must simply act to reverse the situation. ![]() In response to this criticism, the government of Zambia has constituted a special committee to look into the complaints by Zambians, broadly, that the mining industry is not benefiting the country, as it should. A prevailing view among these civil society organisations is that multinational companies are too powerful for the Zambian government to reign in and demand transparency and accountability. For some civil society organisations in Zambia, therefore, it is quite clear that their government does not have the capacity, let alone political will to turn the resource curse afflicting their country into a blessing. To the ears of Zambian civil society, Musukwa’s words are hollow and point to the empty sloganeering they have become accustomed to. He is clear on the priority of his government, which he describes as ensuring that mining activities benefit the people of Zambia, and the government, he stresses, will not sleep until this happens. We met with the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Richard Musukwa, MP. Recently, ourselves, joined by other colleagues, spent a week in Zambia talking to different stakeholders in Lusaka, Ndola and Solwezi. The big question, therefore, is whether Zambia is prepared to draw maximum benefits from the new boom? This increase in price of these two minerals is a great opportunity for the economy of Zambia. Today, the prices of copper and cobalt, the minerals in which Zambia has the largest stake, have risen at an unprecedented high rate of $7,000 and $80,000 per tonne respectively. ![]() Evidence abounds of polluted streams and rivers in the Copperbelt, all polluted by various mining activities. The entire mining sector is structured in such a way that mining companies always take the lion share of profits, leaving behind poor communities and massive environmental damage that mostly affects water and soil quality. Many Zambians, including the president, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, echo this view. But, the reality is that whether the price of resources increase or decrease, the people do not benefit. That there already is in place a problematic and inefficient Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework governing the operations of mining companies in affected communities, these fears are legitimate.īy all accounts, the mining sector should have been a saviour of the country’s economy. Thus, when the price of copper goes up, hopes are raised that lives will change and when the price goes down, fears abound of operations scaling down, leading to massive job losses and a decline in contributions to the fiscus. Still, Zambians have consistently monitored the health of the mining sector, knowing its contribution to the overall economy. At some stage, Zambia was the biggest African producer of copper until the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) overtook it in 2013. Since privatisation in early 90s, the mining sector has attracted Canadian, Chinese, Indian, Australian and American mining companies. ![]() It has been like this since the country attained independence in October 1964. Zambia’s entire economy is dependent on copper.
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