Government is still awaiting for response from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) so as to give a go ahead for Prospective Uranium Mining in the country.
Mines Deputy Minister Maxwell Mwale said IAEA is still scrutinizing the guidelines that the Zambian government had sent on the mining of uranium in the country.
He stressed the commencement of uranium production by prospective uranium miners would only start after government receives a response from the Agency.
Mr. Mwale told ZANIS in an interview that it was illegal for prospective uranium miners to commence production as government was still working on a mechanism to regulate the mining of the mineral.
The Deputy Minister pointed out that the move taken by the Zambian government to send the guidelines to the Agency was aimed at protecting the Zambian communities from the effects of uranium.
Following the recent discovery of Uranium, there has been concerns that Zambia lacked capacity to control uranium mining in terms of storage, safety, security and transportation on the mineral.
ALBIDON Mining-Zambia Limited has confirmed the presence of high-grade uranium mineralisation at its Njame east project near Chirundu.
When giving an update on the pre-feasibility studies early this year, Albidon Zambia stated that uranium resources at the Chirundu joint venture with African Energy Resources had increased by 25 percent to about 4,120 metric tonnes.
Albidon indicated that the first uranium production was expected by the end of 2009.
However, Mines and Minerals Development Minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa had also in a related development warned that it was illegal to commence production in Zambia by prospective uranium miners as government was still developing guidelines in the mining of the mineral.
Dr Mwansa said the government had devised guidelines to regulate the mining of uranium in the country , which had been sent to the Agency.
Albidon Mining has become the third company to discover uranium deposits after Equinox Minerals discovered uranium deposits at its Lumwana copper project in North Western Province and has since embarked on a Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS), whose outcome would decide the way forward.
The other company is Omega Corp Limited, whose uranium exploration operations in the Siavonga area have reached advanced stages, with company managing director Mathew Yates stating that metallurgical discoveries had resulted in new areas of uranium mineralisation at its Kariba Uranium Project (KUP).
And Senior Chief Chipepo of the Tonga people in Southern Province had in a separate interview urged government to devise an effective and efficient mechanism that will help the country regulate international guildlines in the mining of uranium in an effort to protect the people of Zambia.
Chief Chipepo advised government to take extra remedial measures that would guide prospecting Uranium Miners to be prospecting and mining the mineral with caution so as to protect the local people from the effects of the uranium mineral.
He pointed out that there is need for the Zambian government to develop an effective and efficient framework before the commencement of uranium in the country.
The traditional ruler’s concern comes in the wake of the confirmed presence of the high-grade Uranium mineral contents in the Southern Province of Zambia.
Butimbi bu atile.
Don’t forget about Tax, at least a minimum of 47%!
you must be crazy to suggest that much tax
Uranium is very expensive and fetches quite a handsome figure on the market. The price of Uranium on the world market has sky rocketed. Nuclear electricity generation is the way forward if the increased energy demands are to be met. Care needs to be taken however because it can be quite toxic. Nevertheless, the nation stands to benefit a great deal.
Yes about power generation, but also an atomic bomb should be considered to make it interesting
That is the next stage of course in the enrichment process…but the IAEA and Uncle Sam will be keeping an eye on us. You will also notice how many developed countries will suddenly want to be friendly with Zambia.
An Atomic bomb for what???for what???r u out of your mind? we gotta talk development and how much we gonna gain from this not forgeting the safetty of the people of zambia..
Let’s get some voice from Zedian scientists.They will not get involved and will allow form 2 drop out from the UK, South Africa and the like to take their jobs and complain after that. Any home grown ideas on how to use this find.Professor Chirwa:Bwelelani ku Zed.Nchito zaoneka apa.Osati chabe vizungu mumapepala.
We need to go Nuclear if we are to generate enough electricity to meet present and future demand. A nuclear power station generates more electricity than a hydro power station. We can export the surplus power generated to Namibia, Zimbabwe and East Africa which are facing worser electricity crisis. Electricity fetches a very hansome price on the market.
This cmearly shows that the Zambian landscape has not been completely geologically explored all these years. I can not blame Zambian geologists. It is up to the govt to invest more into mineral research exploration, and mining and metallurgical research programs. We shouldnt wait for mwisas to explore our resources. I left my country in search of wellness and I can assure you that what they are doing here (in terms of mining) we can do in Zambia. Its just that our govt does not value research and development. All they do is politicise issues and talk without implementation whilst fattening their necks and bellis.
Uranium can be processed via a hydrometallurgical process route. By this I mean dissolving the U ore in sulphuric acid. One thing I know is that U exist as pitchblende U03 and Uraninite. Zambians we are capable of doing this work. The problem is that the govt do not protect us and give us good opportunities and conducive environments. They favour the muzungus who take away our jobs. I wish I can write more but the space is not enough.
#11 Have tried to invest in Zed?
I meant Have U tried to invest in Zed before?
Atomic bomb yaumfwika bwino mwe.
We should seriously think about it……
We should go nuclear. That the in thing today. Make a few weapons of mass destruction and scare the worst. Thats the way we can be known world wide.
We should go nuclear. That the in thing today. Make a few weapons of mass destruction and scare the west. Thats the way we can be known world wide and be respected. No body will mess with Z.
#12 Where can you even begin from? Mining or rather research in the field of mining requires a lot of capital investment. I dont think that govt is willing to assist in that regard. They would rather buy the latest vehicles on the market or have fake conferences where they spend tax payers money.
Research in the mining sector requires that you start on a laboratory scale, follwed by pilot plant work and then take up on to an industrial scale for the acual plant and plant implementation. All these steps require investment. Is your govt willing to do this?
very indeed!!let’s get into a contract with iran and produce Uranium energy or weapons of mass destruction and make money too!!haahahahahahahahaha!!just a joke…
let’s be very careful with the kind of investors who come now!
We dont we give them guidelines for a change. let us mine the uranium at our terms
Don’t look to Iran for expertise. Look to Russian Federation. I’m sure the russians can assist us to make just 1 atomic bomb and ballistic missiles to scare away George Bush.
T boz has a point here. in fact we could even go further by enforcing Local participation in the project. Uranium has a serious market for once we can dictate terms of the trade. Whoever is not happy can go suck lemons and produce young devils for all we care
whatever zed does no Chinese should own any of our big chunk or else workers will be forever unprotected against radioactive waves from the uranium.
At last big things are beginning to happen For Zed. After being plundered of our copper wealth and continually ripped off by colonial masters, God decided to turn the tables and give us another chance, Yeah! Even the Bible says that the needy shall not forever be forgotten!
Only, this time we should really be careful whom we trust. I understand the people who are suggesting Nuclear Energy or even Atomic power. The times of bowing to the slave masters is gone! It is time to rule our destiny! May God bless our great nation. AFRICA IS THE FUTURE! LONG LIVE ZAMBIA!
“Gold, copper and urine found in Kaputa”
“Oil in Chavuma”
“Urinium in southern province”
All in three days… Are these April Fools Jokes?
If it is true, let us keep quiet and engage our locals to mine these minerals. China NO! America No! Zambians yes.
# 25 hola! this is the way to go as a matter of fact instead of provising raw uranium we should even add value and develop our own nuclear energy plants and uraniam processing plants let these fools buy a finished product not where you mine the copper, you cannot even make a geyser out of your processed, copper, it has to be taken to China then re-imported at 4 times the price for Monarch to make a geyser, what nonsense!
For us to get somewhere as a country, I think we need a president like Fred Mmembe, simple looking, business oriented, big heart for the poor and oppresed, frank and to the point, bold, patriotic, good leadership and broad knowledge of economic and political development both at local and international levels. It might not be his area of interest, but cant we pressurise him? What do u think? Otherwise all this wealth we are endored with will have no bearing on our livelihood as long as we continue with chuchu kind of politicians.
#s 5, 10, n 22, u ve very interestig arguments, especially the more intellectually authoritatively motivated 10 (I am not under ratng others). Yes, China has no respect 4 humans even in china. So, completely keep china away from uranium otherwise Zambia is courting disaster. On not a very seemingly serious note, the whole population will be barren. On a serious note ask the Russians about Chernobyl disaster. Nuclear bombs are some of the possibilities. But, does Zambia need nukes? Zambia needs nuclear energy 4 domestic (n solve energy problem forever) and export. #10 is more than right some capital(prime) projects are for the govt to implement. These trigger the supply chain…
these discoveries gives us hope that one day our childrens children will live in a good developed country we all endeavour to be, but unless policies made torwards making zedians, empowered all this will be like our soon to finish copper which should have added value to our lives and not foreigners.
ba#26, because somebody runs a newspaper you think he can manage a country thats the problem it takes alot to run the affairs of the country not selling newspapers and critising people anyhow the guy has hate for some people, it can be seen in most of his editorials, you dont need that fool for a president.
…(small n medium) projects/businesses which most Zambians with the help of the state can ably handle. Zambians do not have the economy of scale to afford starting up a copper mining project/business, but the govt does/or can borrow from other sources. I am saying with the help of govt coz most of the businesses I know in the developped world the govt is always behind with support. After all at the end of the day the govt t is the direct benneficiary through jobs creation. on top of that for you to be able to continue there are effective laws put in place for survival of small n medium businesses. #12 I will cite an eg 4 you: If you are an engineer in locomotive engines, or aeronautical,…
Why dont we try ISRAEL for expertise on nuke energy to work alongside Zambian scientists.
…how can yourself as an individual set up a company that builds aircraft or trains. These are prime projects for the govt to undertake and the supply chain supported by the govt will be very automatic. These things are not rocket science. But, you need visionary leaders. To be honest with you bread and butter shouldn’t be issues in this time and age. Discussing bread and butter is a clear indication of having leaders who just do not have an idea of what they are doing. Problems should be how to build and instal a satellite in space, tapping into different forms of energies to support local industry and earn money through export, how to build a cross country rail network powered by…
Hydro power is beautiful thing, nuclear power means harmful waste doesn’t it? where will that go? Nuclear energy is a solution for countries which have no gas or major hydro power to speak of.
I am all for what people have said, devise a plan that will see Zambia and Zambians benefit, make the buyers pay the true cost. What ever is done, i don’t think any country should rely solely on minerals. When all the minerals are gone, what happens then?
…electricity and not charcoal, research into energy efficiency homes, smart homes, including astronomy. Don’t be cheated Zambia has the capacity to rise to such levels. But, as before you need leaders with brains. They should be beyond just having an academic degree. The nearest eg is Botswana. Most Tswanas are not as educated as Zambia. In fact, along those lines it is abnormal to compare a Tswana to a Zambian. But, their leaders are visionary and because of their vision it wont take long before the whole country is full of educated and equally visionary citizens. Just cross Zambezi into Botswana at Kasane and you will know what am talking about. The road are perfect. Their buildings…
There is need to look critically into Waste and Tailing management in the mining of Uranium. People should not just become ignorantly excited about uranium mining. Uranium is one element which is dangerous to process and to handle. There is need to put up stringent measures and safety standards for the sake of the local people and the environment. If there will be any debate on U mining in Zambia it should be focused on this subject.
…are well structure with architecyural engineering direction, towns are squicky clean. This is just Kasane-you haven’t even gone to Francis town. Late alone, Gaborone. That in itself truly reflects on the minds of their leaders while cholera is equally a true reflection of our leaders’ grey matter bunkrapcy.
Now, the solution to all these is the govt to be in the lead. The govt should forget about China developping Zambia. China has its own domestic responsibilities. If China were interested in Zambia they would suggested and implemented finished-goods industries which add value to, say, copper, etc. But, they are uplifting copper in its raw entirety and we are looking. Aren’t we…
# 35 well said. People who have worked in the industry will tell you all about the importance of proper disposal of mining by-products. Further, we have failed to check illegal mining on the copperbelt, which has in the past resulted in deaths due to cave-ins etc. More attention needs to be paid to protect the lives of Zambians, because this time we are dealing with a mineral that has serious health effects if improperly handled
Zambia is not adequately equipped to handle nuclear waste let alone a nuclear disaster. Russians failed to handle the Chernobyl disaster and meanwhile, we are yet to manage a burning building. Hence, Uranium should be mined and sold. No need 4 a nuclear power plant, we ‘ll stick to our safe hydro power plants. Foreign investors should be attracted to handle mining of uranium and let’s just have a good tax system where we collect our revenue. Look at Botswana and De Beers. I insist on attracting foriegners as they have the money, expertise and know how. Zambians don’t have the kind of money needed to mine and (transport) export uranium.
why rush for nuclear energy? with so much water and coal in Zambia,we are failing with hydro electric power and uou think we can handle nuclear energy.Lets first exhaust our hydro electric power potential first and then we can talk about Nuclear later.In the mean time we can encourage our youths to pursue studies in nuclear energy.Of late we are have been failing just to run or modify mere turbines and you think we will able to handle reactors.That stuff is very dangerous ,ask the Russians babies in Kazakastan are still born lame because an one accident.
Things in Zambia have become soo bad so much so that on a near monthly basis, some desparate quarters in cabinet have adopted a stance of “discovering” this mineral and that oil hoping that such mind exploration would one day come true. Well, as long as Zambia keeps on “electing” fools, you will continue being feed on a diet of fake discoveries while your economy drops further in the doldrums.
Reading this list clearly shows that the majority of our citizens do not know much about uranium and the dangers it represents.
Uranium is one of the most dangerous substances known to man. I can see that Zambians are quick at crying for money from its sales, but nothing is being said about how the country will secure the dangerous uranium tailings long after the rich uranium ore is extracted. This stuff will remain silently emitting dangerous substances, slowly releasing various radioactive substances which are harzadous to life. This decay takes not less than 100,000 years! You think Europeans are foolish by not mining the uranium in their own countries? No it is because they know …
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that due to their small sized countries, all life in their countires would be killed by radiation because one cannot stop the dangerous materials that are produced by the uranium tailings after taking away the uranium. All miners of any material do not take ALL the ore mined. They take only what they see as economic ore. Thus low level uranium ore in tailinbgs will be left and this is what will damage us. Which company will stay behind for 100,000 years to safeguard these tailings from being exposed to rain, wind, air, animals, etc so that the radio activity is not spread? Radon gas which is 10 times heavier than air will be blown off to far off places and cause damage to …
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anything that contacts it: grass, water, animals, people, etc. All these will become affected. On 2nd February, there was an article in Mail & Guardian newspaper in S. Africa that stated that they had found radioactivity in vegetables grown in Wonderfonteinspruit area between Randfontein and Potchfstroom. Tests on asparagus, onions, and oats revealed high levels of radioactivity substances to be 3 times higher than the safe permissible level for human consumption. Consumption of such products by any human leads to fatal kidney failure and various forms of cancer. We do not have institutions in Zambia that can monitor and regulate any nuclear or uranium mining activities. This..
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This is of utmost important. I am not saying that you create an institution and fill it with people who are simply there for voting for the mmd. I mean real professional people with nuclear physics, uranium mining, uranium safety, radiation protection, etc type of skills and qualifications. Sadly our nation has no serious attitude to national development. The fact that the government appears confused on what is really what in uranium mining clearly shows absence of a startegic national goal on uranium mining.
I urge all citizens to look beyond sales of uranium mined in Zambia to the Day After Mining has been done! Who will look after the dangerous uranium tailings? It will ..
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It will not be these companies lining up to extract the uranium from our underground. These will go away as soon as they achieve their financial goals. Since we do not have any developmental goals aimed at making our nation a better nation, we are focusing on coins from uranium sales! We must realize the NATIONAL dangers these uranium tailings pose to all our people and neighbouring countries. With our pitiful investment in health care, who will look after the citizens with unknown cancers from anywhere in Zambia? Who will foot their medical bills? Who will ensure that our water, grass, rivers, dams, etc are free of radiactive substances from uranium tailings?
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We must halt any mining of Uranium. We cannot base our mining of uranium on foreign drawn guidelines, even when they are from the International Atomic Agency. No single Zambian lives and dines on kapenta with these guys from Geneva. We need to develop our own capacity to understand the materials that we are dealing with. Foerigners must only come in to supplement to what we very well know and master. Our dependence on foreigners is fast creeping to becoming genocidal. We cannot have our leaders decide on critical issues based on guidelines from abroad without our own majority understanding what we are dealing with. What if these guidelines are flawed, whom shall we blame for…
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for deaths of innocent lives?
This is where wisdom is important. One does not need to sit and just say,”Yes”, ” Yes”, without understanding the fundamentals at stake. We cannot summarize the fundamentals into how much dollars we will be given by the uranium mining companies. We must address the totality of the events surrounding before and after mining mining uranium.
Sometimes I feel ashamed to be a Zambia. This is one of those times I really feel mad with anger to be a Zambian. Where are the UNZA dons on the science of materials?
#10 Zambian Metallurgist SA. You are wrong. All the mineral deposits of Zambia are known by the Zambian Geologist. Otherwise there is noway a Kaponya your Mwisa from overseas can guess the whereabout of the uranium . Wake up and respect the trade. Geological Survey of Zambia has all the data. It is you who should develope Zambia instead of being an economic refuge in SA. Come back and Develope Zambia.
#33, 38, 39 and Seriously Zambia, good points. Have people forgotten the stories of yester-years, how toxic waste was exported to a number of west african countries at the instance of greedy politicians? Those countries are paying the price as we speak – and will for a long time to come. Zambia is said to account for about 34% of the water resources within the SADC grouping. I think that’s the way to go than the nuclear energy route.
lets go nuclear Zambia we need to scare the hell out of our donors and they will be pleading for us like the way they are pleading for Iran we can test the nuclear in a neighbouring country (Malawi) to just disturb them donors…..
Chaps from UNZA are fully baked govt does not utilize them fully they blieve in foriegn is lekker ala
Zoona fully Zambian wasokola ama points. I can sense the passion you ve got for the country. We need more of such straight thinking and honnest professionals! Not just noisy politicians always rushing to the media armed with uninformed excitment instead of proven hard facts!
I am really concerned that foreigners who do not even have any roots in Zambia are the ones advising the GRZ on guidelins to mine Uranium. It should also be noted that the companies rushing to mins Uranium are not founded on a 100,000 years of mining and handling Uranium to be able to handle our catastrophic outcomes from uranium tailings. Mr. Mwanawasa must revert to a responsible presidency instead of being the chief of money hunters. The issue of Uranium mining requires alot of self-searching and institutional capabilities which we are criminally lacking while discussing this topic. We are really being childish and grossly irresponsible by moving onto opening a pandora’s box.
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Once the genie is out of the box, there will be no one to hold it back. The harzards of Uranium mining are well documented, but due to the fact that nearly all our decision makers are sophisticated illiterates, makes the internet and its vast information hard to be understood. A form 5 education and a law degree are not enough to comprehend the huge number of devils that will haunt Zambia once the mining starts. I cry for those that are simplistic in looking at uranium as a source of making Zambia great. For Zambia to develop to be able to make nuclear weapons requires a thousand things to be inplace before this happens. We can only perhaps make a dirty bomb! But who is the..
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the perceived enemy for such a sick idea? A dirty bomb like uranium tailings are area denial entities. One cannot live where a dirty bomb or uranium tailings are located. That land becomes dangerous for any person to live near or on it.
I can see that the nation has no proper system that knowledgeable citizens can meet and discuss issues on science and technology. This again proves a point that we are really our own enemies of the nation. Critical issues such as this one ought to be well discussed by the intelligensia and politcians must not be allowed to make policy statements when they know nothing on the scientific merits and demerits of mining uranium.
I have noted ..
that in Zambia, politicians always make statements to guide those with technical skills on the way forward. This is wrong and will lead the nation to disaster. Politicians must only come in after all knowledge has been exhausted by the technically competent people so that decisions are based on scientific and technical benefits to Zambia, not only money benefits. What is the point of having all the money but the whole population is down with various types of unknown cancers?
I am a qualified Zambian with a good technical and management background. I did physics in my first year university studies in Canada. I did a course in energy that required me to visit Canadian Candu nuclear power ..
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station. I know what I am talking about. Please, let us address fundamentals. Money will come and go, but not uranium tailings and its offshoots of dangerious materials.
Thank you.
whilst i appreciate the fact that urenium is very expensive and it will a plus to the zambian economy. let not forget that it one of the most dangerous mineral, ZAMBIAS FIRST THEN MONEY.LET THE GOVT DO ITS PART so that there is no oe to blame.
Hello BMZ:
You appear to be placing emphasis on the governement to lead the way forward on the issue of mining Uranium. I disagree with you. We have seen too many mistakes being made by this government and we cannot afford another mistake, this time on Uranium mining. We must all tell the government to forget Uranium mining at this stage until certain development bench marks in Zambia are reached. We need better schools, teachers, and institutions that are functional and not ones that are just cosmetic. With a population that is vastly illiterate, we run a risk of having many of our citizens die silently without knowing what is killing them. We must leave the uranium mining issue for ..
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future generations to decide as we have enough minerals being mined and cannot still show any benefits to the nation for all these mines. We cannot use the numbers of Zambian labourers and some managers as an evaluation tool and state that mining so far has brought wonders to Zambia. We all know that Vedanta for example, bought KCm for less than USD50m, but now the value of its extactions from our mines is well over USD2Bn, for itself.
We must seek to maximize national benefits from the current mining activities instead of opening a pandora’s box. Remember that this government has still NOT informed the nation why we are losing billions of dollars from our prized emeralds!!
I am concerned that the Uranium mining issue is not being handled adequately by the government. People are now looking at the reported high prices of Uranium as a major reason to start mining it. I would not be surprised that sooner or later some villagers will start digging for Uranium ore in areas reported to be with uranium. The dangers to the people ane the environment cannot be imagined. I see some chiefs forcing some fo their subjects into digging ore for them and their tribes. I am stating that the approach taken by ZCCM-IH in giving the mining dumps to ordinary people is dangersous and must be reversed.
ZCCM -IH must strive to build institutions that are efficient, accountable and productive in the area of mining or handling mineral ores. The dishing out of mineral ore dumps to ordinary people means that the dangerous practices of disorganized management of ores, handling, marketing and accounting for our national resources are being embraced. With the much talked about uranium mining, the dangers of state approved laissez faire attitude will result in untold national misery and unwarranted deaths in the long run.
Price of Uranium:
The price of uranium is articially high on the world market because most rogue regimes do not want to buy from those countries that already have processed uranium due to their stringent conditions at the time they want to buy. If you go to Russia for example and you want to buy processed uranium for your nuclear power station, the Russians will give you a quotation with a long list of things that you must meet for them to supply you with what you want.
If you go to Canada, same thing. So some countries that do not want to meet the stringent conditions for buying this material will go to the crazy world open market where the price is sky high since the suppliers (shady..
suppliers) know that they can ask for any price and they will get the bucks!! The question must be asked, why would a nation like Zambia decide to sell materials to countries that are evading international standards on processed uranium sales?
I am developing a feeling that the nation lost its moral soul to the green buck even though it wants to pretend that it is a Christian Nation. Morality and Christianity go hand in hand. So we cannot be Christians now and declare that we can sell Uranium to anybody regardless of the moral implications tomorrow and sell to anybody whenever just because we want money.
We need to be careful how we handle the Uranium business pa Zed. Yes we can do it. Our neighbours Namibia have been mining and exporting the yellow cake all over the world. More mines are coming up in the next few years. A shift in the international perception about the Nuclear Energy is one reason the “U rush”. Looking at how we have managed the old mines in terms of environment and problems like the pollution of streams and rivers in the recent past (acid leaks etc. ) one wonders if we are ready to handle the highly sensistive Uranium. ITS A CHALLENGE BUT WE CAN DO IT. IF NAMIBIA CAN DO, WHY NOT ZED????
Hello #64:
Namibia is truly a successful uranium mining nation. Before you conclude that the fact that they have done it therefore Zambia can do it, we must look at the major issues that mark our differences. Namibia is sparsely populated. It has a population of 1.7 million people. It is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.The country is mostly a desert, and uranium mining is done in the Desert by Rio Tinto group. The second uranium mine, the Langer Heinrich Mine 80kms east of Swakopmund is owned by Paladin is also in the desert.
Namibia has the cleanest towns in SADC. The government is fully functional, and there is no looting of public goods. The fact is that..
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all Uranium Tailings are far from population locations. The absence of rainfall also minimizes the risk of contaminated water running off to public water systems. Walvis Bay for example gets its drinking water from underground reservours.
In Zambia our people will move and locate themselves almost anywhere without hesitation. The absence of serious town and country planning has resulted in populations moving and settling anywhere they deem okay to settle on. The current cowboy approach to public services such as sewerage, drinking water, self-planned location of habitats and absence of serious government efforts and initiative to ensure sanity is a recipe for disaster when.
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..when citizens are encouraged to go settle in rural areas without any guidelines on what, where, how and why on the decision of settlements. It is also clear that the there is a serious vacuum in leadership when one hears statements by some leaders that the nation is lowly populated with too much land and thus requires more people! This means that some leaders are unable to understand that human habitats are not best done on every inch of the land as some land must be preserved for future generations, economic activity, leisure, natural habitats, etc.
Uranium mining in Namibia has been successful as a result of clear government policies and practices with citizens that adhere..
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adhere to governance motivations and rewards. In our country, our leadership is clearly tunnel visioned given the fact that the government cannot distinguish between scientists, engineers, technicians and administrators. Leadership’s love for law has blinded it from an all embracive nature of running a country. Only China appears to have mysterious solutions to our national developmental problems. Our technical cadre was long ago through into dustbins and no effort is being made to bring them to be on par with their colleagues world wide via a well planned scheme to revamp UNZA’s engineering entities.
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Zambia urgently requires well developed engineering and technical skills at all levels at this stage in our history. One cannot sit back and leave sensitive environment harming activities be monitored and managed by the polluters themselves. This is unethical. It is like asking potential criminals police themselves in their daily conduct of their affairs. I can state that the ECZ (environmental council of Zambia) is least prepared to handle anything in a smart way. They are reactive, they do not have early warning systems. This is why the only leave their desks when fish is seen floating dead on some of our rivers to know that something is wrong somewhere!
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ECZ requires early warning monitoring systems for water and air pollution. They ought to be able what type of air Zambians are breathing in in 80% of areas of our country. They ought to be able to know the quality of water available in Zambia for people and animals. They ought to be able to know which industrial operations are close to rivers or streams, and what their effluents are consisting of. They ought to be able to alert the ministry of health on any noted deterioration of river water so that the ministry can be ready for diarrhea outbreaks in due course.
Our government appears unable to have a vision for a better Zambia based on citizen’s knowledge and skill ..
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development so that our national development is truly sustainable.
Mining Uranium will only be great for the foreign owned companies while the rest of us as citizens will be left to deal with the dangerous by-products of this activity for not less than 100,000 years!! Do not tell me that the ruling party has capacity to survive these years!! Like I said earlier, our leaders are essentially technophobes and sophisticated illiterates. This is why they are comfortable with the concept of our useless and unproductive basic education where kids have never seen a science laboratory or with teachers fully trained to deal with the new teaching challenges and the relevant technology in
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education.
Sad that our opposition parties are empty of strategic thought for Zambia. These parties appear to be like the ruling party in all except personalities. Unless Zambians dedicate themselves to making Zambia a better nation in all aspects of human life, we are doomed. Money is nothing but a tool. A tool can be used wisely or unwisely. Therefore the education of our people is of paramount importance, so that they are wiser users of money once they have it. What is critical for Zambia is INFRASTRUCTURE and not money. With education, we can have all types of infrastructures for our nation and be able to make money. This is why our leaders love going to developed nations
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for anything – health care, investing, education for their kids, etc. Because these nations have infrastructure. This is why every Zambian loves going to S. Africa ..it has infrastructure. They do not like to bundus, where there is nothing.
My advice to the Zambian government is to forget Uranium mining unless they want to be accused of mass murder of a nation. We must focus of the best ways of maximizing national benefits from the existing mining activites instead of opening up a pandora’s box with uranium mining.
Nice comments most of them out of emotional and very few out of ignorance. Anyway, can not blame you after the Government sold KCM for US$25million which even a footballer like Rooney or Beckham can easily buy. My heart bleed when KCM (Vandeta group) were opposed to the new mining tax regime.
Zambians who have the interest of the country at heart shod be happy if a uranium mine ca be developed in chipepo area. Make an expedition to Chipepo and come and tell us your experience
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In short, Nambia is a major Africa producer of Uranium. Major Uranium mine in Nambia is Rossing which is 15% owned by the Iranian Govt. Do not think Iran will be desperate to buy our Chipepo uranium!!!! Though DRC produced the Uranium which was used for the atomic bomb by the US in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at its Shinkolobwe deposit, the world largest uranium deposits are in Canada and the largest mine is the Olympic Dam in Australia
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Brief facts about uranium
It’s not doing very well on the market. Current price is at US$70/Ib. However, the so much exploration for the commodity globally is becoz experts are expecting a sharp rise in the demand which will rise the price to US$120/Ib. Currently, there are about 439 nuclear reactors in 41 countries and there is a proposal for 350 new nuclear reactors globally which will definitely double the demand and push the price to US120/Ib or more equivalent to what it was a decade ago. The world demand for uranium stands roughly at 64 615 tonnes. Major uranium producers are Canada, Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Nambia, Niger, South Africa and Uzebeskistan in that order and
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major consumers being US, France and Japan.
As a country, we need to compete with these countries if we are to benefit from the God given resource. South Africa is currently undertaking several uranium projects including Dominion mine in Klerksdorp which started production on 28th Feb 2007. It is worthwhile noting that some of our high profile Zambian Geologists trained by UNZA are running some of these Uranium projects in S.Africa. It will be good to bring back these guys home and assist in the Uranium development in chipepo and elsewhere. Their experience will be very valuable.
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Can we benefit as a country out of Uranium???? Yes, if the pipo mandated to govern us formulated laws and signing deals which will be to the benefit of the Zambia and its pipo and ensuring that environmental concerns are taken care of. Most have looked to Botswana as a shinning example. You will be amazed that most mining companies operating in Botswana are foreign.
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One of the world largest producer of diamonds Debeswana is owned by De Beers which is foreign and the Botswana Govt. You can not rule out foreign companies in the exploration of these mineral deposits, Most Govts have no capacity to explore for minerals if they are failing to provide basic needs in hospitals and Schools. For example, it cost over US$30,000 aprox K114million to drill a 200m hole. And to discover mineable deposits, u need to drill such several holes if an oepen pit is earmarked. And more than 200m for an underground.
Not enough space, if u want the basic science of uranium minerals, contact [email protected]
Hello Clem:
We must be realistic. The people mandated to govern us have proven themselves unable to do so. It would illogical for us to expect these same failures to do any better on a more sophisticated material that is to be mine, Uranium. They have done a shoddy job on emeralds, diamonds, and copper leaving out vanadium, found around Mansa.
We must not wish for things that are out of range of these people in government. Our leadership is a disguised collection of useless people whose mastery is denial of bad and ugly facts in governance. The fact thet even the head of state surrenders the task of developing Zambia to foreigners speaks volumes about the rest of his people in his grz.
I cannot help thinking that what Zambia needs for a president is a technical guy who would see the poor state of our technical skills, systems to sustain and retain technical skilled citizens, understanding of the technical demands to be met for ZAmbia to develop. Passing laws day in day out without any serious physical modifications and eradication of the problems affecting our people will not develop Zambia. One cannot eradicate poor roads by just passing laws, or becoming a State Counsel. One needs engineers, technicians, etc in order to have good quality houses such as the ones Mwanawasa saw in Gaborone on his recent visit.
Serious Zambia
I agree with u with your contribution. However,I dont think we lack technical skils in the country. Technical experts are rarely consulted by politicians. They are usuallly sidelined at most time and their advice is not followed.
Maybe u have to be a state counsel for u to be heard.
Energy experts forewarned our leaders before about the need of more ivestment in electricity. Today everyone is affected by power outages.
Clems:
I did not say that we lacked Zambian skilled manpower. I am aware that in my ZCCM days, Francis Kaunda had a publication detailing all skilled Zambians available in Zambia for deployment in any industry. ( I have a master of science in industrial management by the way!) Yet I did not see much depolyment of our citizens to more technically demanding tasks. We saw instead lots of things being done by some UK based companies hired by ZCCM. We also saw some Chileans into ZCCM, and yet we all knew the solutions that our company needed to apply. ZCCM under FHK neglected exploration and development. All spare funds were redirected to agriculture (Mukumpu Dam and Nchanga Farms) swallowed..
money with some GRZ entities like Zambia Police as we saw vehicles being bought for them and UNIP.
I do feel sad and angry that Chiluba, instead of identifying the weaknesses of the UNIP era and rectifying them, he decided to wipe the national landscape clean of all national assets and resources with Mwanawasa. Now we are being made to start afresh in all areas of national development. Chiluba, where possible, he closed the entities, and in some, he renamed and changed the mandate of the institutions such that they became disguised nothings in real sense of national goals and objectives. MITS, which was an R&D of ZCCM was closed since the new Czars of Zambia did not appreciate anything ..
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beyond a one-fingered wave! The National Council for Scientif Research was renamed and I do not recall any scientific report coming from them since we last heard a GRZ official shout ” One Zambia, One Nation!”. This government’s attitude to science and technology is pathetic and disgraceful. The only thing they appreciate in science and technology is in their presidential cars, aircraft, and cell-phones. Have you noticed that 40 years after independence, the presidential plane cannot be registered in Zambia? It is registered as a ZS.., indicating it is under the authority of South African civial aviation authorities, and not 9J.. our civil aviation gurus.
We are essentially playing..
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a game as kids we used to play, “House”. We are pretending that we are solving issues when we are not. We are essentially criminals by our naked actions of doing injustices to Zambia while real solutions are shuffled away from our desks and boardrooms.
Feel free to contact me on [email protected].
#81 Agreed this country has been bastardised by politics/politicians from markets and lawyers writing and rewriting laws since the Chona commission in 1971. Today we have Chifumu Banda’s NCC making a kill, plying the same trade.
#83 I wouldn’t blame Francis Kaunda for ZCCM’s mess. He is a meek man who only obeyed KK and later FTJ. CEOs of govt controlled companies in Zambia are merely genies of the head of state. Pre 1991, which parastatal CEO in his right senses would refuse KK’s UNIP orders to buy cars or donate to the party headquarters. We saw a lighter version of this with Samuel/Chiluba at Zanaco and now with Sisala/Levy at Zesco.
In my view Francis and later Edward did what is humanly possible to keep the overmilked ZCCM afloat. Remember DRC’s govt owned Gecamines collapsed, production fell to a paltry 25000 tonnes of finished metal per annum compared to ZCCM’s 265 000 Tonnes at the time of privatisation. And yet DRC ore deposits are richer than Zambia’s. Someone brainwashed KK that Zambia was going to remain with big holes in the ground. After nationalisation there were no more new mines. Last mine under UNIP was Chibuluma west in 1972.
Deposits like chibuluma south, Lumwana, Kansanshi were discovered long ago but could not be developed because of UNIP’S moratorium on new mines. But you don’t need to be corporate strategist to know that you do not grow or diversify by killing off your strengths. ZCCM’s and Zambia’s strength was and still is in copper mining. So to curtail new mines development by UNIP was a catastrophic blunder. Another point Anglo operated a virtual monopoly in copper but when we nationalised we didn’t know how to maintain the virtual monopoly. We even kept loss making mines going on World Bank loans to keep jobs instead of opening up new profitable ones. That did harm to the price of copper and our econom
Money went to things like Zambia Airways which chewed more GDP than it generated. (Some ECONOMICALLY UNWISE people are still nostalgic about QZ!) Misconceived projects like NCZ which is was not tied to any phosphate or sulphur (key ingredients in fertiliser and acid manufacture) deposits. No wonder it can find a buyer/investor. Mulugushi travellers and Nchanga farms only came when ZCCM was already too feeble to generate sufficient GDP for commandist grand projects.
Let’s stop practising market politics at national level and get the country out of the lawyer induced trance of writing and re-writing laws/constitutions.
Canada mines the worlds largest uranium mines and has done so far DECADES. We have no environemntal issues today and some of our deposits are 50% uranium.
So wake up poster “Seriously Zambia” You are posting scare tactics that are wrong.
As a Canadian, I know what happens in these mines. It is not an issue. Furthermore, you uranium is a by product of copper, so you get money for nothing. We need to mine it.