JOIN DRIVERN TAXI AS PARTNER DRIVER TODAY!
4th August, 2017
“As FODEP ,the reports we are getting from our monitors in Kalumbila District, Kakahindu Community which is basically few meters from the Lumwana mine ,we feel there is very little interaction between Lumwana mine and the community regarding some environmental challenges that need to be addressed,” FODEP Executive Director said .
Foundation for Democratic Process, FODEP Executive Director, Mweenge Chimfwembe has attributed some social and the environmental challenges prevailing in Kakahindu community in Kalumbila district to lack of interaction between the Lumwana Mine Company and people in the area.
Speaking after touring Kakahindu Community, together with other members of Solwezi and Lusaka based Civil Society Organisations, Mr.Chimfwembe observed that most of the houses in Kakahindu have developed cracks and are on the verge of collapsing while others have collapseddue to blasting at the mining firm.
“As FODEP, the reports that we are getting from our monitors and after inspecting the Kakahindu community, here in Kalumbila district, we feel there is little interaction between the Lumwana mines and the community regarding some of the environment effects that need to be addressed,”Mr. Chimfwembe observed.
Mr.Chimfwembe who also visited Kakahindu Primary School which runs from Grade one to nine also observed that the school is lacking adequate services provision in the e
ducation sector as evident by low staffing levels as well as inadequate classroom blocks to cater for the growing population of pupils at which is close to 1000.
“We have observed that cracking of houses and very little service provision .And at Kakahindu School we have 900 pupils against 9 teachers. This entails that planning has not taken place here,”Mr.Chimfwembe.
Mr.Chimfwembe feels that it is unacceptable for the residents in the said community to grapple with these social and economic challenges considering that they live in the mine catchment area.
He has since appealed to the Ministry General Education and Lumwana Mine to address the challenges being faced by the residents of Kakahindu community in the education sector.
The Executive Director has also called on the Mine and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency, ZEMA to find a ways of offsetting the cracking of houses in order to prevent houses from collapsing.
“It is incumbent upon Lumwana to ensure that where they are operating their business should plough back so that the community can begin to appreciate their development,” Mr. Chimfwembe said.
He further calls upon the government to explore a robust local industrialization policy that can enable local people to take advantage of Copper and other mineral resources to develop intermediate products such as geysers and solar panels among others unlike the current situation where copper and other minerals are exported in raw form.
Released for FODEP by:
Mr. Chimfwembe Mweenge
Executive Director
Image source – QFM : FODEP Executive Director Mweenge Chimfwembe
