• Mr Kamanga working in the chicken run at his residence in Kimasala area in Solwezi, which he developed using some of the compensation money. Picture by Martin Musunka/SUMA SYSTEMS.

By MARTIN MUSUNKA –

Subsistence farmers in Solwezi have finally accepted resettlement by Kansanshi Mining Plc after receiving training in conservation farming and financial literacy.
The farmers, located in Kalepa and Muzabula areas through which the company planned to construct a by-pass road to its new Kansanshi Smelter, initially resisted relocation.
First Quantum Minerals (FQM) had embarked on the development of a world-class smelter at its flagship Kansanshi Mine at the cost of US$789 million with a smelting capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum. This created capacity to smelt the copper concentrate produced at FQM’s Kansanshi and Sentinel Mines.
However, the mining company needed to construct a road that would be used for the delivery of the concentrate from Sentinel Mine to the smelter without adding to the already congested Solwezi town road network.
This required a by-pass road from the Solwezi-Mutanda T5 junction at Kazhiba turn-off to Kansanshi Mine, which process entailed displacing some subsistence farmers.
When the affected community were informed of the plan, they resisted resettlement. It took much sensitisation through Kansanshi Mining Plc’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Department for the farmers to understand the benefits that would accrue from the road project.
The Resettlement Wing at Kansanshi Mining Plc coordinated meetings with local leaders and the affected people, for them to understand the values behind the idea of relocating them. Arrangements were made to subject the subsistence farmers to training before compensating them.
Michael Longhurst, the Resettlement Supervisor at Kansanshi Mine and point person in dealing with the community and the directly impacted farmers, said meetings with traditional leaders were held and assessment done prior to the implementation of the resettlement process.
He said Kansanshi Mining Plc adequately followed the International best practice on involuntary resettlement as espoused by the International Financial Corporation (IFC) by committing to a consultative approach for the full duration of the project implementation.
EMPOWERED
Today, it is a different story as the affected people are now happier following the training sessions which were followed by compensation from Kansanshi Mining Plc.
The construction of the Kansanshi Smelter has now been completed and work on the 12-kilometre road from Solwezi-Mutanda junction to Kansanshi Mine Plc has also been finished.
The displaced farmers have carried on with the farming chores and are now praising FQM Kansanshi Mining Plc for successfully compensating them through a practical livelihood restoration programme.
On the issue of the new smelter, FQM Kansanshi Mining Plc, Assistant General Manager Meiring Burger says: “We will be able to beneficiate our current arisings, and the stockpiles that were created during the last two years, thus receiving revenue for all we produce. There will be a saving in transport and tolling costs, it will also generate free acid for our leaching operation (a significant part of our cost structure)—we will realize a saving on our overall operating costs.”
He explained that the existing smelting capacity on the Copperbelt was not sufficient to accommodate the total concentrate produced by Kansanshi Mining Plc. On top of that, the export levy renders the export of concentrate unprofitable.
“Currently, we produce a surplus of concentrate each month, which is being stockpiled, thus there are no benefits to the company or the country,” Mr Burger said.
JOBS
And during the construction of the road from Solwezi-Mutanda junction, there were jobs created for some of the affected farmers and their families.
Mr Longhurst says a total of 114 farmers were affected and have been fully compensated based on the rates provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Kansanshi Mining Plc was committed to addressing resettlement in line with best international practice, as outlined by the IFC relating to Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement and in conjunction with the Equator Principles.
The IFC stipulates that involuntary resettlement should be conceived as an opportunity for improving the livelihood of the affected people.
“Accordingly,” Mr Longhurst says, “Kansanshi Mining Plc provided financial training and conservation farming training for project affected people with the aim of improving business awareness and increasing their skills.”
The smelter road with a 100-metre road reserve covers 149 hectares while the ownership affected area is in extent of 71.80 hectares. The 100 percent compensation caters for 89 farmers for the directly affected, 18 indirectly affected and seven disturbed.
Mr Longhurst says 93 percent of the affected people were provided with farming inputs, which included lime, fertiliser, groundnuts, and maize seed.
“Before being compensated with money and inputs, the affected farmers were enrolled for training sessions pertaining to financial management and conservation farming by Kansanshi Mining Plc through the resettlement section under the CSR Department,” he says.
FARMERS
One of the displaced farmers, 55-year-old Michael Chimbipa says, initially, he was sceptical about the resettlement programme by Kansanshi Mine Plc, but expresses happiness with the turn of events as the mining company exposed him to conservation farming and financial literacy.
“I am personally happy with Kansanshi Mine because what I thought was damage to my farm has turned out to be a positive development because I am now literate in terms of financial management and I am conversant with the best practices of conservation farming. It has been a blessing in disguise,” Mr Chimbipa says.
Nilda Sakilwa says she was upset when news first broke of the community’s displacement because of the smelter road project.
“We were all sulky and did not want to cooperate when we were told about the mine’s intentions. But here I am; a woman who is looking after three children empowered with knowledge which cannot be taken away from me by anybody,” she says.
In a rare show of initiative, Levison Kamanga used the compensation money to develop his new farm and to start poultry farming. He is positive about the progress he has seen in both ventures.
Mr Kamanga, 36, a father of four, says that the smelter road has brought about positive developments through compensation and job creation, which have helped him meet his children’s school requirements among various household needs.
Other farmers enjoying the same good fortune are Yudah Katatala and Kenneth Mayokela who have chorused:
“Without Kansanshi Mine, we would not have turned around our farming fortunes in this area. We thank them for having thought of compensating us because we are now able to extend what we were given to other income-generating activities.”
And Kansanshi Mining Plc Public Relations Manager Godfrey Msiska has said the mining company had received reports that some people were planning to set up structures in the road reserve. He has warned that they were risking their lives.
According to the law, it would be an offence for any person to put up any kind of structure within a 50-metre distance from the centre of the road on either side.-
Feature courtesy of
SUMA SYSTEMS.