JCTR ON FACT FINDING MISSION

...regarding challenges faced by mining communities

PEOPLE in mining communities are facing many challenges, the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has observed.

JSTR Natural Resources Governance Programme coordinator, Miconyinza Diudennie said the organisation was working hard to address some of the challenges by engaging both the affected communities and the mining firm. He made the remarks in Solwezi yesterday after a conducted a tour around Lumwana mine area to have a spot check on how the communities were benefiting from natural resources.

‘’We are doing thus so that as an organization we bridge the gap between the community and the mining firm which will result into improved living standards,’’ he said.

He said the organisation decided to have a first-hand information on the various challenges the people were faced which was due to mining activities in those communities. He said JCTR was engaging various relevant authorities to ensure that the social amenities were addressed.

He said the project was aimed at focusing and finding out if mining communities were benefiting from natural resources.

‘’So, we are here to hear from the communities how the mining company as well as government are helping them,’’ he said.

He called on all stakeholders to constantly engage each other so that there was what he described a win- win situation.

We are doing thus so that as an organisation we bridge the gap between the community and the mining firm which will result into improved living standards.’’ — Mr Diudennie.