President Hakainde Hichilema has said that all due processes of the law and other additional due diligence requirements shall be respected over the mining in the lower Zambezi.
Reacting to the backlash over the decision to allow mining to take place in the Lower Zambezi, after being opposed to the project while in opposition, President Hichilema, however, said that this will be carried out before the new administration can guide on the future of the project.
According to a statement released to the media by Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya, the President has maintained that the environment must and shall receive the maximum protection possible and there shall be no deviation from this commitment to protect the environment, not only in the Lower Zambezi but across the country.
The President noted that as the UPND administration works towards rebuilding the economy, it shall do so in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and that it is important that the economic prosperity endeavors of the current generation must not hurt or jeopardize the growth and success prospects of future generations.
The Head of State said that he deliberately instituted the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, to emphasize that the new administration’s economic reconstruction agenda that will pay the highest regard to environmental sustainability and protection and that is why the President was quick to not only drive, but also endorse the Green Growth Compact Agreement between the United Kingdom and Zambia, to inject billions of British Pounds of new investment, doubling trade volumes between the two nations and delivering at least 1-hundred million pounds to SMEs in Zambia.
He said this is one of the biggest success stories arising from the President’s attendance of the COP26 Summit in Scotland towards the end of last year.
Yesterday, Golden Party of Zambia Leader Jackson Silavwe and many others opposed Government’s stance to allow the opening of an open pit mining project in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Green Economy and Environment Minister Collins Nzovu revealed that the open pit mining project in the Lower Zambezi National Park will go ahead but under strict adherence to measures set by ZEMA to limit damage to the environment to a minimum.
But Mr. Silavwe says based on the Zambian Environmental Management Authority report, Government still has the absolute right to cancel the mining licence of the Australian based company, contrary to the court judgement by the High Court to allow open pit mining in the National Park.
He has appealed to President Hakainde to listen to the majority stakeholders and citizens and stop this project, promote tourism and preserve the environment.
Mr. Silavwe said that looking at the current tax regime from the mining sector, tourism is more beneficial to the country in lower Zambezi at the moment.
He said the government should put away business interests for the greater good of the country saying the minerals belong to the nation and can be mined in the future.
Meanwhile, the Zambia National Students Union (ZANASU) has received the move by government to go ahead and award a license that will allow mining activities in the lower Zambezi as regrettable.
ZANASU President Steven Kanyakula said that this development comes at a time when the whole world and Zambia inclusive are trying to mitigate issues of climate change which have contributed to droughts and floods.
In a statement, Mr.Kanyakula said the country should focus its energy on having solutions that will alleviate issues of climate change which impact negatively on the environment.
Are these people miners? Mining is not like cutting a slice of bread with a sharp knife. That’s why Europeans want to do it in far off places instead of their own countries.
Hhhmmm Bally are these the deals you went for in your last trip to South Africa with your sponsors using government resources
The plan is to make Zambia a center of electric battery material production in Africa, and maybe ve a plant aswell. HH wants us to be no.1 as he mentioned in Dubai. You can’t be number with only Konkola & Lumwana mine, we need copper mines in every province in Zambia. Cos copper is everywhere in Zambia-everywhere. We are shd be world no.1 but even in Africa we are only no.2 why? Becos u ll eat national parks right? With profits from this mine, we can create two more national parks like this one, & besides, southern province is full of national parks, more animals than people & how much revenue do these green environments bring back as tax -zero no one even ever heard of these parks paying tax. Useless – destroy even few more parks in SP,there is jst way too much, for nothing.
Where we need more preservation of national parks, it’s places like Copperbelt, Lusaka, Central province etc, not Southern province-there is just way too much jungle for nothing there. Infact destroy a few jungles there, for mining, it won’t hurt an inch. We ve plenteeee plenteee. If anything shd be closed, close Maamba Callories(guys coa is directly more harmful to climat than anything on earth), literally more than 5 coppers mines. So close that thing and open copper/uranium mines.
bALLY YOU HAVE STARTED TO BLUNDER. WE SHALL SORT U OUT COMING ELECTIONS JUST LIKE WE PUT U ON THE SEAT WE SHALL DETHRONE U
#3 Step Aside-Silently
Have you heard of climate change ???
E don’t need mines in every province to be into the electric car business, zambia already produces enough copper for that.
Most Zambians want gameparks and other untouched resources left for future generations…………..
If you can’t be the center of electric car materials with the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of copper already produced in zambia, what makes you think decimating a park to produce more copper will change that ?????
HH already approved the construction of the mine even before the corrupt ZEMA has given their corrupt nod! So much for proper environmental management! Rubb!sh!
Mr. President, you can try and explain all you want but any person with COMMON SENSE will know that there will be AN ENVOREMENTAL IMPACT ON THE AREA FOR THE REST OF THE EXISTANCE OF THIS WORLD.
There is no Study, no financial benefit that can be justified so please spare us with your reasoning.
I hope the British government are watching.
I am a strong UPND supporter and the President in particular. However this has really a dent in the confidence of this government.
JUST STOP IT AND HAVE A CONCIENCE
# 5 SPAKA,
TOTALLY AGREE – WHO CARES IF IT WAS STARTED BY pf – it was stopped due to public outcry.
This government can stop it if they want to.
Everyone needs to again start a petition.
IT IS NO DIFFERENT TO STOPPING FOREST 27 DUE TO SEWAGE GOING INTO THE STEAMS – THINK ABOUT ” SEWAGE” GOING INTO THE ZAMBEZI – AFFECTS THE WHOLE REGION LET ALONE ZAMBIA.
The deals were sealed before he won elections. On Zambia Auctioning he never lied.
You just never trusted the conman.
Mr President people don’t want reassurances they want you to cancel it and we don’t have the capacity to monitor such just looking what’s happening at Mopani and KCM mines.
“All eyes are on Zambia” says Peter Major, director of mining atMergence Corporate Solutions in South Africa. Major spoke in Cape Town in October. In the new President, HH, he says, the country has” a real businessman” in charge.
With regard to mining, environmental sustainability and protection has rarely been achieved even in developed countryies. Check the negative environmental damage mining has left in Copperbelt, there is no sustainability to talk about.
With the current technology, it is onerous and impractical to address the negative mining impact even by 10’%.
You need an integrated approach to development, so no need to be emotional. Who is right now benefiting from the lower Zambezi fauna and flora- just a few camp owners and poachers. A cost benefit analysis is needed. Without a good management plan and regular wild life census in the game management areas and parks, you may actually be fighting for non existent benefits.
By the way what happened to the famous Gwembe oil and gas?
The deals were sealed before he won elections. On Zambia Auctioning he never lied.
You just never trusted the Konman.
Politicians are like film actors, their behaviors have to suit the characters they are playing in a particular film….if the part to be played involved prostitution, they act as such…. that is not not the actor’s normal nature.. but he has to portray the character he’s playing.
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/10/31/full-statement-on-the-lower-zambezi-by-first-president-dr-kenneth-kaunda/
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/11/11/chieftainess-chiawa-opposes-mining-in-lower-zambezi/
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/10/26/cancel-lower-zambezi-mine-licence-wwf-zambia/
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/11/04/with-the-climate-change-issues-facing-zambia-there-is-no-morality-to-go-ahead-with-mining-in-the-lower-zambezi/
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/02/13/slyvia-masebo-opposes-governments-decision-allow-mining-lower-zambezi-national-park/
BMW aifaka pressure mwine eka kikikikikiki!
Chiwamila galu….
F00Iish hypocrites. You who voted upnd are very gullible idl0ts
There is nothing beneficial about clearing land, digging holes in the ground, and rendering water unsafe to drink or for the creatures that live and thrive in it. Enough said. Let’s start to appreciate that the constructs of economic gain are not as important as what nature gave us.
#15 His Masters Voice… these are good pieces for the case especially one on Silvia Masebo…. she opposed but now she’s quiet (and supporting).
Agony is realising one did not vote for Bally and UPND, now regreting with grief and bitterness
F00Iish hypocrites. You who voted PF in the past now how do we retract that ?? YOU REALLY WERE very gullible idl0ts
Ni Park yanyoko? We have many other parks. Dig them holes. Faka preasure iwe….
#12 Meme
February 1, 2022 At 10:47 am
“You need an integrated approach to development, so no need to be emotional. Who is right now benefiting from the lower Zambezi fauna and flora- just a few camp owners and poachers. A cost benefit analysis is needed. Without a good management plan and regular wild life census in the game management areas and parks, you may actually be fighting for non existent benefits……..”
Even Zambians are not fully benefitting from gameparks right now………….
Atleast future generations will have some resources to call their own, instead of gaping holes and polluted rivers.. ………..
You will dance ndendeule with this president. I hear that his close associates describe him as an unlistening guy. Can someone convince you that he will put up a mine at the vic falls with special regard to the environment and you blindly agree? This guy takes Zambians for a ride. Open pit at ZLNP is dumb. Chief’ee Mukuni and h² could be co-owners of this mine believe me. Icalo basampwisha ba kelenka. Tulipano.
UPND now trying extra hard to distruct Zambians on a very big issue….coming up with all PF tactics….making fake payments etc….please Zambians dont be fooled NO MINING IN THE LOWER ZAMBEZI
We simply should not trust our natural resources to companies with no track record. I don’t think we lose any credibility at all with the international business community if we reject projects from No Name Companies that are likely to be a few friends planning on stripping our resources in some sort of bait and switch scheme.
You get respect by playing hardball where its warranted. Any legal case can be argued and won in different ways. We just need the will.
So now him being the Mr. Know it all, he doesn’t listen to anyone and so he constitutes the unlistening Government and his follower goons unwisely sing praises. Since he co-owns the mine with his South African gang friends, what will stop his Ministers to do exactly the stealing he is doing now.
Upnd should think about future generations and the legacy they will leave.
It’s not about Zambians benefitting from the game parks, it’s about protecting ZAMBIA from destruction due to damage to the environment. There’s not much fish in Luapula not because of the growing population but because people have destroyed breeding areas which were hitherto out of bounds. You may not see it now but you will definitely feel it tomorrow.
LT do some research instead of saying its a Australian mining company google the company and its parent and you will see they are based in Bermuda and been investigated by the Panama paper group.
I want silvier Masebo to explain what changed now when she critized PF about mining in lower zambezi. UPND praise team kindly explain this. You sung songs against PF concerning this maining project. ECL tried explain this but you sung the loudest. We are watching
HH is a business man, do you think he can stop mining in the lower Zambezi when it’s highly to his benefit? Stop dreaming.
Bally adya donyo!!!!!
Let us go ahead and mine from the Lower Zambezi on condition that strict environmental protection is adhered to. This has been done elsewhere with great success. one example right here in Africa is Kilembe Mine and Kasese Cobalt plant which are in the Queen Elizabeth National park right at the Equator in Uganda, very close to the Rwenzori Mountains. God did not give us minerals so that they remain in the ground but that they should be mined for our benefit. And gladly, the Australian mining houses are very particular about protecting the environment and will not disappoint us. They are so particular that they dismiss employees for killing a lizard or a snake which strays into the Mining operation.
ARE THESE GUYS SURELY HERE FOR MINING MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE , AFTER OUR ANIMALS JUST TELL TO GET OUT WE STILL NEED OUR ANIMALS
There is a saying in Bemba which says “Awa Hichilema taleka” which means bad habits die hard. This a continuation of similar deals to privatization.