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DAILY MAIL - Uranium, The Constitution

Government yet to issue uranium licence
By CYNTHIA MWALE.

GOVERNMENT has not given out any licence for the uranium mining. Uranium is the basic material for nuclear technology. It is a radioactive naturally occurring heavy metal that is more dense than lead. Mines and Mineral Development Minister, Kalombo Mwansa disclosed in Kafue during his tour of Kafue Integrated Iron and Steel plant that Government had not granted any licence for mining uranium.

Dr Mwansa said Government is still consulting the United Nations Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to come up with a policy. The IAEA is being consulted so that a policy could be framed and approved before any uranium mining activities could be done. There are reports of uranium deposits in the country from exploratory works being under take by Equinox Minerals Limited.

So far uranium deposits have been detected in Muntanga and Dibwii areas of Siavonga, where Omega Corporation expressed interest in opening up a plant with an investment of US $60 million. According the information posted on its Website, Omega Corporation started the exploration project in June 2006 and is expected to end in July 2007.

Project manager David Dodd said Omega intended to start constructing a uranium mine between July 2007 and October 2008 as soon as Government issues the company with a mining operating license which the company has already applied for.

Production of uranium from the mine was expected to start in October 2008 and end in 2015 after operating for a period of seven years.

Equinox Minerals Limited, which owns Lumwana Copper project is planning to re-evaluating the potential for a significant uranium by-product from it's Mwinilunga mine.





http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/press/news/viewnews.cgi?category=2&id=1176994485

We’ll follow existing law – Levy
By MACKSON WASAMUNU

PRESIDENT Mwanawasa has reiterated that the enactment of a new Constitution will strictly respect the existing law because his Government is of laws rather than of men. President Mwanawasa was speaking at State House yesterday when he met political parties that are members of the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID).

The political parties in attendance were the MMD, the Forum for Democracy and Development, United Liberal Party, United Party for National Development, and the Zambia Development Conference. Mr Mwanawasa said it was sad that some civil society organisations wanted him to disregard the law in the constitution-making process.

The President advised the ZCID to spearhead the process of good governance including that of enacting the new Constitution. President Mwanawasa said since he swore to protect and defend the Constitution, he would abide by the law to the letter.

And ZANA reports that the President called on the ZCID to take charge of the process of governance instead of leaving it to the civil society. Mr Mwanawasa said some civil society organisations had abandoned the purposes for which they were formed and had delved into the political arena.

He said he was delighted the ZCID had institutionalised national dialogue. He noted that presently there was tension in the country as people are disagreeing even when they are not supposed to.

Mr Mwanawasa said it was sad that some people were advancing illegal options to change the current law. The President said he was saddened by happenings over the constitution making process.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, DAILY MAIL, URANIUM

posted by MrK @ 4:34 PM