Mining licence covering 3 chiefdoms shocks Chief Kabamba

CHIEF Kabamba of the Lala people of Serenje, is shocked that an investor has been given a mining licence covering three chiefdoms, without consulting traditional leaders.

The traditional leader has since refused to sign a Consent Letter for the investor as provided for under the Chiefs’ Authority Act (Chapter 128) of the Laws of Zambia.

He observed that the move was in contravention of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act which set out the general principles, procedure and methods to enable the prior consideration of environmental impact assessment on certain public or private projects.

This came to light when Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ) Executive Director Maggie Mwape paid a courtesy call on Chief Kabamba at his palace in Serenje, where the NGO is executing a three-year project, Resilient Initiatives for Sustainable Environment (RISE), supported by Bread for the World (BftW).

Chief Kabamba said he is disappointed that the licence covers Kabamba Chiefdom, Chibale Chiefdom and parts of Mkushi and Luano.

He emphasised that traditional leaders were interested in investors to develop the country but that chiefs must be consulted to avoid human rights abuses by displacing vulnerable people.

Meanwhile, Central Province Council of Chiefs chairperson Chief Chibale was surprised that a licence was issued without his knowledge.

He said traditional leaders under the Central Province Council of Chiefs recently resolved that the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development should be reformed to allow for participation of chiefs to provide consent before issuing licences.

Chief Chibale added that chiefs in Central Province also resolved that all chiefdoms should generate Chiefdom Development Trusts or foundations whose responsibilities should, among others, be the allocation of land and resource mobilisation in the chiefdoms.

And Centre for Environment Justice Board Member Boniface Mumba said his organization appreciated the role chiefs play in the environmental sustainability.