Mining should impact socially

CHAMBWA MOONGA,
MWILA NTAMBI
Lusaka, Kitwe
MINISTER of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe says the New Dawn administration wants to see mining investments which translate into tangible social impact and not mere financial figures.
Mr Kabuswe said in today’s business world, there is an emphasis on environmental, social and governance aspects in most business deals.
“When you are going into mining in any jurisdiction, you must know that the social side must be taken care of,” he said at a working dinner organised by National School of Government of South Africa in conjunction with National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) in Lusaka on Monday night.
Mr Kabuswe noted that in the past, most mining deals which Zambia signed were just slavemaster agreements, no wonder the country has not realised so much benefits.
“No one must be negotiating from a position of weaknesses,” he said. “Resource nationalism that has now been pronounced can easily happen anywhere and you can’t stop it. So citizens have to get jobs, contracts, be suppliers to mining companies.
“We don’t just want to mention these figures [like]
‘US$20 billion of investment in the mining sector is coming to Zambia’. I want that US$20 billion but I also want the social impact of that kind of investment.”
Mr Kabuswe stressed that Government will seal mining deals which give massive benefits to locals…https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/