The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) has followed with keen interest the events unfolding in relation to the intended Kangaluwi Copper Mining Project in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

The Kangaluwi Project is an initiative of Mwembeshi Resources Limited, which was granted a large-scale mining license for a period of 25 years in March of 2011.

The site of the intended mining activities is the Kangaluwi area situated in the Lower Zambezi National Park, which covers about 977 km (roughly 25 percent of the national park).

However, the open-pit mining activities will likely occupy a larger area to accommodate employees, storage equipment and piling of tailings or the earth in order to reach copper ore.

Environmental and mining experts predict that full-scale mining activities could cover up to 50 percent of the Lower Zambezi National Park, which is an ecologically sensitive area. As an extractive industry, mining activities will inevitably cause severe damage to the environment and disrupt the ecosystem of the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Lower Zambezi National Park is a priority tourist destination with its abundance of wildlife species and vegetation as well as conservation value being that it is considered to be the western arm of the East African Rift Valley.

Tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Zambian economy and vital to the government’s economic diversification policy.

CTPD Executive Director Isaac Mwaipopo is concerned about the intended mining activities and urged the government to cancel or revoke all pending and existing licenses in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Mr. Mwaipopo says CTPD is encouraged by the statement that was issued by the Minister of Tourism and Arts, Ronald Chitotela to the effect that the mining operations by Mwembeshi Resources were still subject to an environmental impact assessment report and that no mining activities were currently permitted.

“CTPD has however taken note of the sentiments expressed by Senior Chief Mburuma of the Nsenga-Luzi people. Chief Mburuma urged the government to allow the mining activities in order to create jobs and secure livelihoods for his people. As an organization focused on the development of pro-poor trade and development policies, CTPD is concerned primarily with the well-being of the communities and the impact that various policies and government decisions have on the day to day lives of Zambians, “Mr. Mwaipopo said.

He stressed that the concerns raised by the traditional authorities are valid in the wake of the decline in the country’s economic growth which between 2016 and 2018 averaged 3.5 percent per year compared to 7.4 percent between 2004 and 2014.

“According to the World Bank, Zambia has one of the highest inequality gaps in the world such that the economic growth has characteristically benefitted a small segment of the urban population,” Mr. Mwaipopo said.

Mr. Mwaipopo noted that Rural communities remain largely marginalized, bearing the brunt of the unemployment rate currently at 7,15 percent and susceptible to promises from unqualified investors, issues which must be addressed.

He said that whilst CTPD maintains its stance against mining activities in the Lower Zambezi National Park, all stakeholders, and interested parties should continue to engage in dialogue and reach a mutually beneficial consensus.

“CTPD concurs that whilst tourism should be the primary economic driver in relation to the Lower Zambezi and other national parks, efforts should be made by the government to ensure that the industry is driven by Zambians and in so doing guarantee a trickledown effect to the local communities,” He added.

Mr. Mwaipopo also observed that the National parks in Zambia are spotted with secluded luxury camps managed by foreign multinationals and private individuals.

“The luxury resorts and camps cost upwards of USD 500 a night on average, making the facilities largely inaccessible to the majority of Zambians and hindering local tourism. This is itself an impediment to the growth of the industry and a loss of revenue and potential employment creation”, he noted.

Mr. Mwaipopo strongly urges the government to firstly continue engaging with traditional authorities and develop effective strategies that strike a balance between sound investment and opportunities for rural communities.

“In addition, there is a need (through consultation and dialogue) to develop interventions aimed at increasing local participation in the tourism sector”, he said.

Police in Lusaka have opened a docket in a case where President Edgar Lungu’s Political Advisor Kaizer Zulu caused an accident in Ibex Hill and beat up the driver of the School Bus he hit into.

Zambia Police spokesperson Esther Katongo has confirmed that Mr Zulu reported himself to Simon Mwana Kapwepwe Police under which the area where the accident happened falls.

Mrs Katongo said the matter is however being handled by Woodlands Police who went to the scene first and Mr Zulu is expected to report himself to Woodlands Police where the docket is.

Mr Zulu was on 19th November involved in a traffic accident which occurred along 1st street road in Ibex Hill.

Involved in the accident was Denis Musopelo of Mtendere East aged 35 who was driving a Toyota Hiace mini bus registration number BAF 9274 whose damages are right front door and right side door.

The accident happened when Mr Zulu who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser registration number AJD 8961 was over taking improperly and hit into a Toyota Hiace which was turning right and the Land Cruiser fell in a drainage.

Vice President Inonge Wina says the government has blocked the November 2019 salaries for employees not eligible for government salaries.

Mrs Wina says the government has also suspended and revoked logging credentials for all payroll end-users’ countrywide in order to avoid paying ghost workers.

The Vice President was responding to Lubansenshi Member of Parliament George Mwamba during the Vice president’s question time who wanted to know what measures government was taking over the 4000 ghost workers who are drawing salaries.

She said 779 Public service employees were found to be unknown as they have been dismissed, died or resigned and 3969 appearing on the September payroll were not found during the headcount on the Copperbelt Province.

Mrs Wina said those found to have breached the government regulations in the management of payroll systems are being handed over to law enforcement agencies.

A recent government payroll clean-up exercise on the Copperbelt established that 4,000 civil servants are unaccounted for while K60 million is lost monthly through fraudulent management of the payroll.

Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Simon Miti said the payroll clean-up exercise was done last month by the Public Service Management Division, Accountant General’s office, service commissions and Smart Zambia Institute.

Finance Minister Dr Bwalya Ng’andu has attributed the depreciation of the Kwacha against the US dollar and other major convertible currencies to low reserves caused by debt servicing and low production and supply in the mining sector.

Dr Ng’andu says the local currency has depreciated by 5.6 percent in November 2019 and by 17 percent on a year on year basis.

He said a sustained depreciation of the currency can lead to inflationary pressure, affect the economic growth of the country, increase the cost of servicing debt and raise the cost of doing business for companies.

Dr Ng’andu said the government has put measures in place both long and medium-term among them tightening the Monetary Policy Rate to help manage the depreciation of the currency.

He also noted the need to increase exports particularly the private sector in order to bring in more foreign exchange which is key in building the reserves.

Dr Ng’andu noted that being an import driven economy, the depreciation of the local currency is expected.

The Finance Minister was responding to Kapiri Mposhi UPND Member of Parliament Stanley Kakubo who asked him what the cause of the rapid depreciation of the Kwacha during the month of November, 2019, is and what urgent measures the Government is taking to stabilize the performance of the Kwacha against other currencies.

Mr Kakubo also asked the Minister what effects the depreciation of the Kwacha has on the economy and what measures the Government is taking to mitigate the adverse effects.

Vice President Inonge Wina has reiterated that the Anti-Corruption Commission is autonomous and does not receive any instructions from anyone.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday when winding up the debate to support the 2020 budget to the Anti-Corruption Corruption, Mrs. Wina said that ACC has the mandate to prosecute people both in the public and private sectors.

And the Anti – Corruption Commission (ACC) has instituted investigations into the leasing out of Chipata Stadium to the Vincent Mwale foundation by the Chipata City Council.

And the Commission is also investing the awarding of tenders for road works in Eastern Province by the Ministry of Local Government.

The roads were allegedly awarded to several companies without proper tender procedures.

ACC Corporate Affairs Officer, Jonathan Siame disclosed this to ZNBC News. Mr. Siame said that the commission is actively pursuing the matters.

In October Chipangali Member of Parliament Vincent Mwale confirmed that he has applied to run Old Beit Stadium in Chipata for ten years.

Mr Mwale who is also Infrastructure and Housing Minister said that the Chipata City Council advertised a ten years lease of the sports facility and his organization Vincent Mwale Foundation applied, adding that his foundation, which is a nonprofit organization wants to turn Old Beit Stadium into a state of the art sports facility.

Mr. Mwale said that that the project, which will gobble over four million Kwacha will be a replica of sports facilities set up by the Barca Academy in Lusaka.

Mr. Mwale said that he was confident that he will raise the money needed for the project.

Mr. Mwale said that he was confident that he will be awarded the lease because his foundation was the only bidder and wondered why people, whom he described as enemies of progress were being negative about his intention to turn Old Beit Stadium into an international sports facility.

Mr. Mwale said that the facility, which is expected to be opened to members of the public once completed, will house pitches for an 11 aside, 7 aside and 3 pitches for 5 aside while also accommodating basket and netball courts.

Chipata City Council has been under pressure to clarify reports that Old Beit Stadium had been sold to the Chipangali lawmaker when it is a public facility.

The Luangwa Establishment has backed calls for mining to proceed in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Establishment Chairperson Joseph Felemenga said the people of Luangwa feel it is justified to go ahead with mining in the area because of animal-human conflict as people are frequently attacked and killed by elephants and crocodiles as well as the high poverty levels.

Addressing the media in Lusaka, Mr Felemanga said the Luangwa Establishment feels that when Mwembeshi Resources is allowed to go ahead and start copper mining in the Lower Zambezi National Park through its Kangaluwi project, poverty levels and wild animals’ attacks on people will also reduce.

Mr. Felemenga said the people against mining in the area are ignorant about the mineral resource in the area.

He has insisted that mining will have no affect on the wildlife as mining will be undertaken 50 kilometres away from the game reserves.

Mr Felemanga who was flanked by other members of the Luangwa Establishment have since asked the Zambia Environmental Management Agency who rejected mining in the area to go ahead and provide relevant documentation to allow the Kangaluwi Copper Mining Project to go ahead in respect of the high court ruling for mining to go ahead recently.

Meanwhile, two traditional leaders in Luangwa district of Lusaka Province have insisted that they want mining to continue in Lower Zambezi National Park.

The two Chiefs Namely Senior Chief Mbuluma of the Nsenga-Luzi people and Chief Mphunka of the Chikunda speaking people both of Luangwa district are of the view that mining in the area if allowed to continue will bring economic development.

The two traditional leaders have however challenged government to state its position on the matter as they feel that the Ministers are not being sincere.

The duo said this on Thursday when Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo held a meeting with them at the Luangwa district administration.

And responding to the traditional leaders, Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has assured the two traditional leaders that he will engage the Minister of Mines and Minister of Tourism for a further discussion on the matter.

The full bench of the Constitutional Court has this morning condemned the physical attack of former National Dialogue Forum Spokesperson Isaac Mwanza by United National Development Party (UPND) members and has called on Zambia Police to arrest perpetrators.

Zambia’s Attorney General Likando Kalaluka addressed the Court on the attacks by the UPND members on his potential witness, shortly after he had finished discussing with him within the court premises.

In raising the matter, the Attorney General linked the attack to a Facebook posting by one of the lawyers and former LAZ President, Linda Kasonde, in which she implored the public to fill the courtroom to offer solidarity to their case. However, he made it clear that he was not in any way suggesting that Ms Linda Kasonde sent cadres to attack persons with different views.

In response, Ms. Kasonde said she was saddened with the attacks on persons by suspected UPND members but that it would not be right to link her to the attacks.

The Court thereafter warned UPND cadres to never commit the violence against any persons within the precincts on the Court Buildings and has called on law enforcers to act and bring the culprits to book. The Court has threatened to stop any member of the public from attending trial if the behaviour is continued.

Mr Mwanza was attacked yesterday by UPND members who were in the company of UPND senior leader Sylvia Masebo on the basis that he has been supporting Government.

Meanwhile, the Court has heard the testimony of former NGOCC Board Chairperson Sarah Longwe who has told the court that the current Constitution enacted in 2016 and the proposed Bill to amend the Constitution were not people-driven as no referendum was conducted to adopt the amendments.

Ms. Longwe said Government did not consult any member of the public on proposed amendments of the Constitution. She argued that Government must always consult the people whenever amendments need to be made to the Constitution. She however struggled to answer questions on whether the call by the Ministry of Justice to the public to make submissions amounted to consultations.

President Edgar Lungu says he is committed to ensuring that all the 10 provinces in Zambia receive meaningful development.

ZANIS reports that the Head of State said this in Kalomo today, when he paid a courtesy call on Chiefs Chikanta, Sipatunyana, Mweemba, Nyawa, Simwatachela, Mukobela, Sekute and Siachitema.

President Lungu was in the area to commission the 247kilometres Kalomo-Dundumwezi-Ngoma-Itezhi tezhi Road.

The president has told the chiefs that government is keen to building a prosperous country as enshrined in the vision 2030 and the Seventh National Development Plan(7NDP).

He said he is aware that Southern Province has not been spared by the adverse effects of climate change.

President Lungu said the road brings numerous benefits for the communities living within the Kafue River basin.

He said for the farmers, the road has eased access to inputs, and markets for their crops and livestock.

Meanwhile, Chief Sipatunyana, who spoke on behalf of other chiefs, asked the president to speed up the construction of the mothers’ shelters at the various health centres in the district.

Chief Sipatunyana further requested President Lungu to assist the health centres with the provision of gensets in order to ease health operations.

In response, Minister of National Development Planning, Alexander Chiteme, informed the chiefs that government had already procured gensets, which will soon be installed.

Mr Chiteme also assured the chiefs that construction of mothers’ shelters is in the pipeline and that funds are available.

President Lungu was in Southern province to check on developmental projects.