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- Sep 30, 2011
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Zambia's profitable copper mining industry is making its citizens poor, an explosive new report by a southern African research organization says. The report by Southern Africa Resource Watch examined conditions in the community around one mine in northwestern Zambia, where they say they found the vast wealth is not being spread to the surrounding community. And this situation, they say, is a tale told across mineral-rich communities in Africa.
Report author Edward Lange said the organization chose to investigate that mine because the Canadian owner, which is Zambia’s highest corporate taxpayer, has a good reputation.
“But then, what we discovered, was that the wealth that Kansanshi Mine extracts does not match the poverty, the disorder, the poor social conditions which is prevailing in the shantytown of Solwezi,” he said. “It is a provincial capital of the northwestern province of Zambia, but it could be termed to be a shantytown. ...They’ve polluted, they’ve displaced people in the community, facilities they’ve provided cannot quench the amount of pollution they’ve caused on the community.”
VOA sought comment from First Quantum Minerals, but it did not reply. On its website, the company said it had found that the operations “contribute almost 4 percent of the total economic value added to the countries in which we operate.”
Zambia Mine Marginalization Case Highlights Africa-Wide Issue
It's business as usual.
Report author Edward Lange said the organization chose to investigate that mine because the Canadian owner, which is Zambia’s highest corporate taxpayer, has a good reputation.
“But then, what we discovered, was that the wealth that Kansanshi Mine extracts does not match the poverty, the disorder, the poor social conditions which is prevailing in the shantytown of Solwezi,” he said. “It is a provincial capital of the northwestern province of Zambia, but it could be termed to be a shantytown. ...They’ve polluted, they’ve displaced people in the community, facilities they’ve provided cannot quench the amount of pollution they’ve caused on the community.”
VOA sought comment from First Quantum Minerals, but it did not reply. On its website, the company said it had found that the operations “contribute almost 4 percent of the total economic value added to the countries in which we operate.”
Zambia Mine Marginalization Case Highlights Africa-Wide Issue
It's business as usual.
