The Lower Zambezi National Park.

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The Lower Zambezi National Park.

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Crunch time as Zambia’s Lower Zambezi NP comes under mining threat

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Sharon Gilbert-Rivett in the OPINION EDITORIAL post series.

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Tourists from around the world visit the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia © Sharon Gilbert-Rivett

OPINION POST by Sharon Gilbert-Rivett
On 14 October this year in the High Court of Zambia in Lusaka, a judge is expected to finally hand down a decision on whether an open-cast copper mine will go ahead in middle of one of the country’s prime tourism destinations – the Lower Zambezi National Park.


In a landmark legal case brought by a group of concerned conservationists and NGOs against Zambia’s Attorney General and the mining company involved – Mwembeshi Resources Limited – the forthcoming hearing represents the culmination of years of political intrigue and no small amount of interference by the Zambian authorities, peppered with allegations of corruption and underhanded dealings.

It began some nine years ago when Mwembeshi Resources, a Bermudan-registered subsidiary of Australian-based mining company Zambezi Resources Limited (now Trek Metals Limited) applied for a large-scale mining license for its Kangaluwi Copper Project inside Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, which is directly across the Zambezi River from Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

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Map of the proposed mining site in Zambia © Zambezi Resources Limited

The application was supported by a prerequisite environmental impact study (EIS) that quickly became the subject of intense scrutiny by tourism stakeholders, conservation organisations and concerned citizenry, all of whom were outraged by the prospect of this globally recognised piece of African wilderness being defiled by mining. The EIS was found to be fatally flawed, not just by an in-depth assessment undertaken by renowned scientist Dr Kelly Leigh, PhD on behalf of the Lower Zambezi Tourism Association (LZTA), but also by the Zambian Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), which promptly rejected it, stating categorically that the proposed site was “not suitable for the nature of the project because it is located in the middle of a national park, and this intends to compromise the ecological value of the park as well as the ecosystem”.

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Aerial photo of the site of the proposed Kangaluwi Copper Project taken from directly above the southeastern edge of the exploration site, looking down Kangaluwi Stream and showing the proximity to the valley floor and Zambezi River. The stream drains the exploration site into the valley floor through a wildlife corridor area and into the Zambezi River. To the west it runs into the Mushika River © Dr K. Leigh

In a move that stunned all involved and ordinary Zambians alike, in January 2014 the incumbent minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Harry Kalaba, overturned ZEMA’s ruling and personally rubber-stamped the project. Thanks to the organisation of a group of conservation-based NGOs who immediately appealed the minister’s decision in the High Court, an injunction granted a stay of execution and Mwembeshi’s mining plans ground to a halt. Although the judge in the matter promised to hand down a final judgement, this final judgement never came. The entire case was consigned to a filing cabinet, where it sat, gathering dust until June this year, when Mwembeshi filed a secondary affidavit, reviving proceedings and the threat to the Lower Zambezi.

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Proposed mine layout © Zambezi Resources Limited

In the interim, Zambezi Resources changed its name to Trek Metals Ltd and sold Mwembeshi Resources to a Dubai-based Grand Resources Ltd – a company that is impossible to track down and obtain a statement from. Suspicions are high that Grand Resources is either a front for a Chinese company or is owned outright by Chinese nationals. China seems to be not very highly regarded in this part of the world, especially where the exploitation of natural resources is concerned. In common with many other developing world countries in Africa, Zambia has allowed virtually unrestricted heavy investment from China, and Beijing effectively owns a good portion of the country’s national debt, seemingly taking what it likes in return. It could be one reason why there is such effort being put into greenlighting this project.

“The thing is, we don’t know why they are going to such lengths to push this through,” says an independent scientist who had input on the LZTA’s assessment of the EIS, and who does not wish to be named. “The assessment, which was put together with input from several key Zambian mining experts, found that the mine was not going to be economically viable based on the information Zambezi Resources itself provided. This was due to the low grade of the ore discovered at the prospect site and the considerable cost of extraction and transportation to either the nearest refinery in the Copperbelt some 500 km away, or off-shore.”

At the time of his intervention, Kalaba had claimed that the reason he overturned ZEMA’s ruling was that “ordinary Zambians” would benefit from the mine through jobs. The ordinary Zambians referred to live in communities contained within the game management areas (GMAs) on the periphery of the park, most notably in the Chiawa GMA which forms the western buffer zone. These communities are dependent on tourism and the income it generates, which has created a sustainable micro-economy in the region. Tourism employs more than 700 people in the lodges and camps strung out along the length of the Lower Zambezi valley, both in the GMA and in the park itself. These 700 people support thousands more in their extended families and communities.

“At the beginning of this case, there were rumours of lobbying going on in the communities here,” says Ian Stevenson, CEO of Conservation Lower Zambezi – a conservation NGO set up by tourism operators in the area that plays a critical role in helping to maintain the delicate balance between protecting wilderness areas and benefitting communities through sustainable development initiatives.

“The communities in the eastern Rufunsa GMA, which has not really benefited as much from tourism due to its geographical location, were encouraged with the promise of jobs, but I question if they were properly informed of the risks associated with the mine,” he says. “In the Chiawa GMA, many residents were not in favour of it as it presented such a risk to the tourism industry and the livelihoods derived from it.

“This sets a dangerous precedent for Zambia’s wealth of protected areas. There’s lots of proposed mines outside protected areas so why don’t the mining companies and government focus on them? This mine will most definitely damage the integrity of the Lower Zambezi National Park in favour of short-term gain, whereas the wildlife and tourism sectors here, if they are protected and managed properly, will last for generations into the future and will bring in significantly more wealth to Zambia.”

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The mighty Zambezi River © Sharon Gilbert-Rivett

Tourism growth in particular seems to be of enormous importance to Zambia, which in July this year unveiled its Tourism Master Plan 2018 to 2038 – a two-decade-long development strategy designed to enhance the economic contribution of the tourism sector. According to Betty Mumba Chabala of the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA), tourism is currently the fastest growing sector of the Zambian economy, contributing US$1,8-billion last year to Zambia’s coffers. “The vision is for Zambia to rank among the most-visited holiday destinations in Africa,” Chabala said at the official launch of the strategy, adding that the government is “working hard towards providing an investor-friendly environment”.

Quite how mining inside national parks fits into that growth strategy remains a mystery, as various attempts to reach Chabala for comment failed, and the ZTA phone number seemingly permanently unavailable.

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Elephants crossing the Chongwe River – a tributary of the Zambezi that borders the Lower Zambezi National Park © Sharon Gilbert-Rivett

It’s not as difficult to get local Zambians working in tourism in the Lower Zambezi to add their input, but getting them to do so on the record is problematic as most prefer anonymity due to the very real threat of intimidation and reprisals from a government that currently ranks the 105th least corrupt out of 175 countries on the Trading Economics annual Corruption Perception Index, way behind South Africa in 73rd place.

“I am against mining here,” says one lodge worker who has been involved in the tourism and hospitality industry for the last 15 years. “I’ve seen first-hand how tourism benefits people in the local community here, employing people and helping them to enrich their lives, giving them steady income and able to send their children to school. The multiplier effect is amazing. Then there’s our pride in our natural resources as well, this place [the Lower Zambezi National Park] is a place we Zambians are immensely proud of and love to boast about. If we turn it into a mine, what does that say about us as Zambians?”

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Tourism is a critical part of the Lower Zambezi National Park © Sharon Gilbert-Rivett

The effect on neighbouring countries is also of concern.

“What about our neighbours in Zimbabwe and Mozambique?” asks another lodge worker. “How is this going to affect them and how are they going to feel about us if we allow this to go ahead. We could be responsible for polluting the Zambezi. That’s not something that we could ever live with as Zambians. And how would we explain to our peers that we sat back and allowed our government to pollute this incredible natural environment that people from all over the world come to visit and admire?”

How indeed. As the clock ticks down to the 14 October, it can only be hoped that justice in this case prevails, and that the resultant decision is arrived at free from the influence of fraud and corruption that seems to dog the mining industry at large. Perhaps the world spotlight needs to shine on this small corner of Africa. With Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg shaming world leaders for their greed and the west’s political behemoths entrenched in their own political scandals, it may well be that hope alone is not enough to save the Lower Zambezi. Time alone with tell.

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Waterbuck in Lower Zambezi National Park © Sharon Gilbert-Rivett

About Sharon Gilbert-Rivett
Award-winning writer and film-maker Sharon Gilbert-Rivett began her love affair with Africa as a child when she lived with her family in Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. She began working in journalism in the UK as a rock music writer in the early 1980s before moving into mainstream journalism, moving back to SA in the early 1990s. She specialises in conservation, sustainable tourism and travel and has also written and produced natural history documentaries and TV series. She consults to the safari industry when she's not writing.


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Re: The Lower Zambezi National Park.

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Update: Open-cast copper mine given go ahead inside Lower Zambezi National Park

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Sharon Gilbert-Rivett in the NEWS DESK post series.

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Tourism is a critical part of the Lower Zambezi National Park © Sharon Gilbert-Rivett

The High Court of Zambia has ruled that the controversial Kangaluwi open-cast copper mine project will go ahead in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National park, dismissing the appeal against the mine on a legal technicality because the initial legal team that fought the case five years ago failed to file a record of appeal. Read the High Court’s ruling here.

The news is already sending shock waves throughout the Zambian and regional tourism community. The Lower Zambezi National Park is one of tourism’s major economic contributors and the lodges in and around the park employ hundreds of local people, supporting thousands more in the communities on its periphery. The mine threatens this thriving tourism economy and the livelihoods of everyone involved in tourism in the Lower Zambezi Valley. It also threatens to derail Zambia’s recently unveiled tourism growth strategy which hinges on the country’s commitment to protecting its wilderness areas.

The Lower Zambezi National Park sits directly opposite Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. The site of the mine is between two seasonal rivers which flow directly into the Zambezi River. Its tailings dams will be located just a few hundred metres above the valley floor, next to these rivers. The risk of pollution and collateral damage to the environment is high, as is the impact the mine will have on the wildlife in the area.

The licence for the mine is held by Mwembeshi Resources Ltd, but it is still unclear where its owners, Grand Resources Ltd, are based. They are registered in Dubai but suspicions are rife that they are Chinese owned. Unless an appeal is lodged quickly, the mine company will move onto the site and begin the work of clearing it.


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Re: The Lower Zambezi National Park.

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The Kangaluwi mine issue: Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park is under threat

By TJ Kaunda | 13 Feb 2022
TJ Kaunda is a Zambian businessman and a former politician and civil servant.

If my father, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, were alive today, he would surely be the one speaking from this page. And he would surely do that famous weeping thing which he did whenever something sorely touched his being. Such a thing is the Kangaluwi issue.
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Just for a moment I would like to say my bit about just how bad an idea it is to place a mine in or near our precious national parks. Zambia is being forced to allow exactly this and it threatens one of Zambia’s most treasured resources.

The story of the proposed Kangaluwi open-pit mine, which would operate right smack in the middle of the Lower Zambezi National Park (LZNP), is full of twists and turns and throws up more questions than answers. The one thing we are sure about is that such a mine, in such a place, is a danger to life in our country, in our region, and in our world.

Who are the owners of Kangaluwi anyway? No one really knows.

Why do they want to put a mine in a beautiful national park where humans and wildlife have existed in harmony all these centuries, protected by our wise chiefs and kings? Truth be told, we don’t know. Why do they want to pour the inevitable waste, effluent, dirty chemicals and other pollutants into rivers which would port them into the Zambezi, polluting it and the Indian Ocean? We don’t know. Why would we allow a company with unknown owners and origins to ruin not only our lives but the lives of the people in the wider Southern African Development Community (SADC) region as well? We should not.

God gave us this one planet to tend and be responsible for all that is in it. That includes the land, the water, the wildlife.

The Zambezi River is a shared watercourse with the other SADC states. The LZNP is an integral part of the wider Zambezi basin which is the most significant shared resource in southern Africa contributing as it does to the environmental and socio-economic development of the region.

Sustainable management of this resource is crucial in securing the futures of the over 250 million people in the broader region that depend on it. Why would we pollute it? Anything threatening its ecosystem is a collective SADC issue. We in Zambia have no right to unilaterally encroach on the rights of the other countries just so that some unknown individuals can make a lot of money for themselves but leave us the blame.

If the mine was to go ahead it would contaminate the water in the Zambezi delta and ruin the farming and fishing livelihoods of the communities who depend on it. The tourism sector in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique would be adversely and irreversibly affected. The Indian Ocean and its wildlife, already under threat from man-made pollution, would have one more burden to bear.

If my father, Dr Kenneth Kaunda were alive today, he would surely be the one speaking from this page. And he would surely do that famous weeping thing which he did whenever something sorely touched his being. Such a thing is the Kangaluwi issue. And he did speak strongly against it while he lived. He declared LZNP a national park in the early 1980s and was greatly disturbed to learn of the possibility of a mine being allowed in it. He believed that this would pose a clear threat to the pristine wilderness.

KK, as many of you famously knew him, was also the father that took my siblings and me to most of the game parks in Zambia. He didn’t end there. He sent us to the Maasai Mara in Kenya, to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti in Tanzania. We were privileged. He taught us the importance of wildlife and its value in the tourism sector. So naturally, I want to stand up and be counted in the fight to stop the digging of a pit that would turn out to be highly damaging to the ecosystem and in 10 years be totally worthless to Zambians.

Ecotourism in the area depends largely on the renewable wildlife and habitat resources and contributes significantly to the local and national economies around the LZNP. The proposed mine would be almost directly in the middle of the national park in a section of the escarpment only 3.5km from the valley floor where wildlife is concentrated. Endangered African savannah elephants, as well as kudu, sable, roan and some eland, roam throughout this habitat.

Tourism establishments in the park and surrounding areas employ more than a thousand local people, generating a local wage bill of $4 million annually that indirectly supports thousands more people at a local community level.

Ownership of the mine has long been a source of great mystery and frustration to us. Mwembeshi Resources Ltd, the company that originally applied for a licence for a large-scale mine in the park in 2010 was then the Zambian subsidiary of Zambezi Resources, an Australian-owned company based in Perth with local offices in Lusaka.

They submitted a deeply flawed environmental impact survey (EIS) which was panned by Zambian and international experts and ultimately rejected by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (Zema). The environmental regulator said the proposed site was not suitable as “it is located in the middle of a national park, and this intends to compromise the ecological value of the park as well as the ecosystem”.

Shockingly, the decision by Zema – the regulator established through an Act of Parliament to protect the environment – was overturned by a minister in the previous government and a mining licence was issued. Zambians resisted and various legal processes and other delays then took place during which Zambezi Resources Ltd changed its name to Trek Metals Ltd. Trek subsequently sold Mwembeshi and the Kangaluwi Copper Project to a Dubai-based investment company named Grand Resources Ltd.

The ownership structure seems almost purposefully complex. Perhaps more important, the current Mwembeshi Resources is no longer owned by the company that originally sought and received the licence. Yet their flawed EIA seems to still stand and Mwembeshi’s submission to resume the project was last year given the go-ahead.

That famous phrase comes to mind: Stand up and be counted!

If we allow the mine to go ahead we shall be left with a huge, worthless open pit in a highly polluted environment. The investor, whose name we don’t know will be gone. The promised jobs will have ended. The minerals we owned under the ground will be gone. The wildlife and the tourism it attracted will be gone. But we shall know that we were the generation that killed the chicken that gave us eggs every day. We often don’t know what we have until it’s gone.

Research, such as that done by Professor Kellie Leigh in 2014, clearly shows that any mining activity in the LZNP will have absolutely no long-term economic value. Understanding this, Zambians from all walks of life have expressed their disapproval at various times in all sorts of ways and as long as the spectre of the mine remains, the opposition to it will continue.

So how do we stop the mine from going ahead? The courts have made their decision but who says that’s the end of the story? It is the people who say what the Constitution is.

We heard President Hakainde Hichilema (whom we popularly call HH) say, before he became president, that the Constitution was flawed. Can we fail to agree with him after witnessing what happened in the courts over the LZNP? Unjust outcomes in the courts mean that the highest court, the people themselves, must intervene. Especially where lives and livelihoods are at stake. Let us now give President Hichilema the reason he needs to scrap this Kangaluwi mine, whose owners remain unknown.

We can begin by pointing out that the last untampered official word from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency on the Kangaluwi mine was an emphatic “NO”.

Then let more voices, from all walks of life, speak. Let us widen our petition by getting more people to sign and join the 38,000 people who have already done so. And, make no mistake, this is not a job for Zambians alone. All SADC citizens are called upon to sign the petition.

Let the president know we have his back and that he is at liberty to send Kangaluwi packing to the unknown place it comes from. DM


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