Maravi

Kitwe’s Cha Cha Cha locals resolve not to pay land rates

Kitwe’s Cha Cha Cha locals resolve not to pay land rates
By a Correspondent
Sun 21 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

RESIDENTS of Kitwe’s Cha Cha Cha township have resolved not to pay land rates to Kitwe City Council following the development of an open-pit mine close to their houses by Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) without addressing their concerns.

But Kitwe council public relations officer Dorothy Sampa said the residents’ resolution was unfortunate considering that so many consultative meetings had been held between ECZ and the residents to resolve the issue relating to the open-pit mine.

According to a letter signed by 120 Cha Cha Cha residents and addressed to Kitwe Town Clerk Ali Simwinga dated January 26, 2010 and copied to among others, minister environment, Minister of Mines, Copperbelt minister, Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) and Kitwe district commissioner MacDonald Mtine, there was no transparency involving the development of the mine.

The residents said their cries and concerns had completely been ignored since MCM had been allowed to start an open pit mine behind their houses without giving due consideration to the environmental consequences and hazards which would affect the residents and the environment.

The residents said following a meeting between, ECZ, MCM, Cha Cha Cha residents and the council, ECZ was mandated to meet their demands, which included production of the public hearing report concerning the open-pit mine, re-measuring the distance between residential houses and the open-pit mine to the acceptable standards and production of the ECZ manager’s press report as part of the Environment Impact Assessment Compliance.

“Amid all these uncertainties and failures to address our concerns with the seriousness they deserve, we Cha Cha Cha residents, have resolved to demand that MCM Plc shift us from Cha Cha Cha Township to a safe place where our safety can be guaranteed. Failure to comply with our first demand, we have vowed not to pay land rates to the KCC,” read the letter.

The residents vowed to see President Rupiah Banda over the matter.

But Sampa said the pertinent issues which the residents raised had been addressed by the ECZ before it granted authority to MCM to proceed with the development of the open pit mine.

“If, however, the residents feel that these issues still remain unresolved, there are channels of appealing to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, but certainly the stopping payments of rates is not one of the channels of appeal because rates are taxes on properties in order to meet services of public nature like cemeteries, street lighting and others,” said Sampa.

“My appeal to the residents of Cha Cha Cha is that while they may have a good cause, they should not take the law into their own hands. I do wish to state that failure to pay rates by any rate payer may result into a serious matter and may compel the council to send bailiffs which would be regrettable, but unavoidable.”

Labels: ENVIRONMENT, KITWE, LAND RATES, MACDONALD MTINE, MCM, MINING, POLLUTION

posted by MrK @ 7:16 AM