Zambia: Environmental Management Agency’s decision to cancel mining company’s license applauded
‘Environmental protection should be non-negotiable’ 29 August 2023
THE decision by Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) to cancel the decision letter issued to Mwembeshi Resources Limited in 2021 pertaining to its large-scale mining project in Lower Zambezi National Park is a good one. Given the fact this mine was going to be set up in the middle of one of the country’s most serene national parks, it follows that no margin of error should be allowed in ensuring adherence to environmental guidelines. But in May this year, it was found that Mwembeshi Resources had violated a number of environmental conditions pertaining to the Kangaluwi copper mine. The company was served with a compliance order to stop mining-related activities and the construction of roads and buildings at the project. This swift action by ZEMA is commendable. As a country, Zambia has had its fair share of pollution from mining activities. In January 2014, then Mufulira District Commissioner Beatrice Mithi dropped dead during a prayer meeting.
It was later determined that her death was a result of inhaling toxic fumes negligently released into the atmosphere by Mopani Copper Mines, which was found liable for her death by the High Court. Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) has also been found wanting in the pollution of water bodies and land in the vicinity of its operations. It is important that as we decide whether or not to allow mining in one of the country’s most ecologically diverse environments, we should draw lessons on how mining activities have affected the quality of lives of the people in surrounding areas. We believe that ZEMA has a sacred duty to ensure that the Zambian people and the environment are protected from the adverse effects of pollution. This is why we stand with Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) and other stakeholders such as Citizens Environmental and Social Concern (CESCo), who have welcomed ZEMA’s decision as a good example of the organisation holding companies accountable to environmental regulations. The fact that the mine had failed to comply with stipulated standards so early in its operations raises serious doubt regarding its capacity to run a large-scale open-pit mine with a tailings facility in the middle of such a sensitive environment without disrupting the ecological balance of that environment.
…We believe that TI-Z is on firm ground in calling for ZEMA to extend the vigilance it has exhibited in the Mwembeshi Resources case to other mining entities across the country to ensure that mining projects, in particular, comply with the law and commitments as stated in their respective EIS reports and decision letters. Indeed there is need for better coordination between ZEMA and the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development in the issuance of mining licences, monitoring compliance and enhancing mechanisms for complaint reporting of mining projects in order to foster accountability and transparency in all mining operations in our country. We believe ZEMA should indeed be proactive in enforcing environmental regulations and that any laxity on their part to ensure mining operations in the country adhere to the conditions set out in their EIS and decision letters can have irreversible effects on people and the environment. Further, there is need for stakeholders to explore sustainable and environmentally sound alternatives that uphold both economic progress and ecological well-being. Environmental protection should indeed be non-negotiable.