"TI-Z Condemns Mining Approvals in Lower Zambezi"




... Nyambe warns against environmental risks as two new exploration licenses are approved in the Lower Zambezi National Park

By Francis Maingaila 

Lusaka, Zambia24 — (28-10-2024) - Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) has condemned the government’s recent approval of two large-scale exploration licenses in the Lower Zambezi National Park, citing concerns over environmental risks and transparency in the mining approval process.

The licenses, listed as 38439-HQ-LEL and 38572-HQ-LEL, were granted in September 2024 by the Ministry of Mines’ Mining License Committee, less than a year after the government canceled a previous mining project in the park due to public outcry. The licenses were confirmed on the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development website.

TI-Z Executive Director Maurice Nyambe criticized the decision, saying mining approvals should be restricted in protected areas like national parks. 

“It is disheartening to learn that the Ministry of Mines’ Mining License Committee has approved these licenses in one of Zambia’s most valued national parks,” Nyambe said in a statement.

He noted that the Lower Zambezi has been the subject of significant controversy. In 2014, civil society groups and environmental defenders strongly opposed a similar mining project, which the current administration initially canceled after taking office.

 Nyambe warned that TI-Z would work with other stakeholders to oppose further exploration in protected areas.

Zambia’s Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2015 requires that mining projects in sensitive areas undergo environmental assessments, including an Environmental Project Brief or Environmental Impact Statement submitted to the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA).

Additional approvals are required from entities like the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. 

However, there is currently no law that explicitly prohibits mining in protected areas.

Nyambe urged the government to uphold its commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable development, arguing that revisiting mining in the Lower Zambezi contradicts this commitment. 

“TI-Z believed the matter of mining in Lower Zambezi National Park was resolved in favor of environmental protection,” he said.

TI-Z has pledged to closely monitor developments and press the government to prioritize environmental sustainability, emphasizing that protected areas like the Lower Zambezi should remain off-limits to mining.

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