(GUARDIAN UK) Zambian villagers take mining giant Vedanta to court in UK over toxic leaks
Fears of environmental catastrophe as report finds ‘constant contamination’ of streams around copper mine while locals report health problems and failed crops
Shimulala village borehole
Saturday 1 August 2015 22.35 BST
Last modified on Sunday 2 August 2015 00.30 BST
A London-listed mining giant has been polluting the drinking water of villages in Zambia and threatening a wider health disaster, the Observer has found.
Leaked documents and a confidential internal report commissioned from Canadian pollution control experts show that Vedanta Resources’ giant mine in Zambia’s Copperbelt region has been spilling sulphuric acid and other toxic chemicals into rivers, streams and underground aquifers used for drinking water near the mining town of Chingola.
‘I drank the water and ate the fish. We all did. The acid has damaged me permanently’
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The result, say people in four villages living near the giant 12 sq mile mine owned by Vedanta subsidiary KCM, is stomach pains and illnesses, devastated crops, loss of earnings and permanent injuries. The claims of villagers living near one of the largest copper mines in Africa are backed by a leaked letter from a KCM doctor stating that water collected for testing from Shimulala village in 2011 was unfit for human consumption. “The water is acidic and the copper and iron levels exceed permitted levels,” the doctor wrote. “The impurities … can cause cancer in the bloodstream and unhealthy conditions in internal organs. The people in that village should be advised to stop using the same water.”
London law firm Leigh Day has issued proceedings in the high court in London on behalf of 1,800 people who claim to have been affected by the company’s pollution. “The case could take three years to resolve,” said Leigh Day senior partner Martyn Day, recently returned from Zambia, where lawyers and paralegals have been taking witness statements from people living near the rivers and the company’s operations.
Lawyers Leigh Day: troublemakers who are a thorn in the side of multinationals
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A Vedanta spokesman said: “All Vedanta’s operating subsidiaries take the health of their employees, the wellbeing of surrounding communities and the environment very seriously. Our subsidiaries are committed to ensuring they operate in a safe and sustainable way.”
But a scientist who worked for more than 15 years with KCM said there has been little maintenance of critical equipment since Vedanta bought the mine, despite production of some 10,000 tonnes of copper and 300 tonnes of cobalt a year. He accused Vedanta of releasing more acid than it has authority for. “There have been heavy spillages and massive leakages. Acid has been leaking all over the place. The pollution control pond is handling too much material. No effort has been made to correct this scenario. Only one of four [waste] pipelines is running – the rest are in disrepair.
“Degraded equipment, leaking pumps, pipes, thickeners and settling ponds have [resulted in] excessive spillages. Water overflowing into the Mushushima river and subsequently the Kafue river poses a possible environmental catastrophe downstream,” he said.
“The company has very good plans on paper that have not materialised on the ground for the last 10 years. It is absolutely clear that there is a massive problem. Because the river Kafue feeds into the Zambezi river, which provides drinking water for much of Zambia, the pollution could affect hundreds of thousands of people downstream, he said. “A disaster is very likely. It has the potential of affecting people hundreds of miles away. Water supplies could be damaged and aquatic life would die.”
A leaked report by the Canadian engineering company SNC-Lavalin, which in 2010 was employed to advise Vedanta/ KCM on how to control continuing pollution, says that solids, dissolved copper and acids are being spilled. It refers to “constant contamination” of streams, and says the main pollution control dam is often full to capacity. It adds that reservoirs overflow and there are leakages from pipes and a lack of spare parts. The engineers’ report calls for 17 major and minor actions to stop the spillage of polluted water into the environment.
Labels: COPPER, KCM, POLLUTION, VEDANTA
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(BLACK AGENDA REPORT) Eyewitness to America Betraying Mandela's South Africa: The Gore - Mbeki Commission
Wed, 12/11/2013 - 11:12 — Marsha Coleman-...
by Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo
Nelson Mandela's ANC leadership negotiated the form of the new South Africa on two tracks, the political wrangling in one set of meetings, & the decisions on the nation's economic future separately at another location, headed by Thabo Mbeki. The results were predictable, as Miriam Makeba said: "We got the flag, but they got to keep the money."
Eyewitness to America Betraying Mandela’s South Africa: The Gore – Mbeki Commission – Part I
by Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo
"Soon after assuming my position I realized that something had gone terribly wrong."
At the dawn of the Nelson Mandela administration, I had the extraordinary privilege to sit at the table with the new African National Congress leadership as the Environmental Protection Agency /White House liaison to the Mandela government. My job was to work with the new ANC leadership to design and provide US technical environmental expertise to assist the majority population's recovery from the environmental and public health disaster the apartheid system imposed on it. This process took place through the flagship foreign policy vehicle, the US-South African BiNational Commission commonly called the Gore-Mbeki Commission or the BNC. All bilateral foreign policy activities between the US and South Africa took place through this Commission. A detailed account of these events can be found in my book: No FEAR: A Whistleblower’s Triumph over Corruption and Retaliation at the EPA.
As a graduate student and professor, I had been an anti-apartheid activist who marched with my colleagues in the Southern Africa Support Project (SASP) and TransAfrica in front of the South African Embassy to “Free Mandela” and to express our solidarity with the South African revolution. When I was offered the position of Executive Secretary to the BNC in 1995, I made it clear to the EPA—citing racist US foreign policy in other African countries—that I would not be a part of any diabolical scheme against the South African people. I was a supporter of the South African Freedom Charter and excited about helping the Mandela government implement environmental policies that would reverse decades of harmful and at times fatal policies towards the black majority. Soon after assuming my position I realized that something had gone terribly wrong. In a 1996 letter to my mentor, professor Noam Chomsky I wrote: "The Freedom Charter is not on the table. I’m heart broken to report that despite the blood sacrifice of so many activists, South Africa is entering a neo-colonial phase."
Vice President Al Gore said of the BNC: “I affirm that the people of the United States of America are committed to the strongest possible partnership with the citizens of South Africa." His counterpart, Thabo Mbeki, then deputy president of South Africa, proclaimed that he appreciated “this relationship of support and engagement for creating a better life for the people of this country.”
" Under a green banner, they were seeking to continue the previous relationship with Afrikaner leaders they had enjoyed while Nelson Mandela languished in prison for three decades."
CNN's description at the time of one aspect of BNC's mission was closer to the truth: a further goal of the BNC was to hold regular trade talks and cooperate in the fight against international terrorism.
There was a stark difference between the stated goals of the BNC and US political strategy. It would become evident that the functional goal of the environment committee of the BiNational Commission was to provide cover for the same US multinational corporations that had participated in the repression of South Africa during apartheid. Under a green banner, they were seeking to continue the previous relationship with Afrikaner leaders they had enjoyed while Nelson Mandela languished in prison for three decades.
I was the US official to whom the first reports of illness and death relating to vanadium mining were given by black South African union leaders and later by the new environmental leadership in the Nelson Mandela government. The US ignored these reports, choosing to protect American-owned multinational corporations that were operating in South Africa. The reports included symptomology of miners whose tongues were turning green, bronchitis, asthma, bleeding from bodily orifices, impotence in young, healthy male workers, cancers and ultimately death.
By 1996 US policy had not changed from the Reagan Administration—but the PR and public statements did—in response to growing US public outcries from the anti-apartheid movement and international human rights groups. Still, behind the scenes and in agencies like the EPA, the US role was business as usual.
As flowers adorn the front of the statue of Mandela at the South African embassy it is worth noting that the statue was paid for by the same corporate concerns that supported Mandela's incarceration including: the , The South African Mining Group, South Africa’s Synthetic Fuels, the chemicals giant Sasol, the South African Gold Coin Exchange and Standard Bank. These corporate co-conspirators think they can fool us with plaques, devotionals and crocodile tears.
Labels: ANC, BANTU HOLOMISA, EPA, FREEDOM CHARTER, NEOCOLONIALISM, POLLUTION
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Kumar says he'll return on Nov 28
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Tue 12 Nov. 2013, 14:00 CAT
KCM chief executive officer Kishor Kumar says he will return to Zambia on November 28. And mines minister Christopher Yaluma has revealed that Konkola Copper Mines has not been fulfilling its tax obligations to the Zambia Revenue Authority.
In an internal memo to workers in the company, Kumar said he had flown to attend to Zinc International business in South Africa and would return at the end of this month.
"During this period, Mr David Kaunda who is vice-president human capital management will act in the position of chief executive officer, and all decisions will be jointly taken with the EXCO members," Kumar stated in the November 8 memo.
"Please accord him all the due cooperation during this period."
Kumar, who is currently chief executive officer for Zinc International, functions as chief executive for Base Metals (Africa), which includes control of KCM operations and copper mines of Tasmania (CMT) in Australia.
Kumar "voluntarily exited" the country last Thursday after the government pursued him over his remarks that President Michael Sata was full of political rhetoric.
This was after President Sata directed that KCM halts the planned retrenchment of over 1,500 workers as the company planned to migrate to mechanization and automation to cut down on labour costs at one of the most labour-intensive mines in the country.
And in a separate interview, Yaluma said the government would constitute a team of experts from ZRA, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Mines to probe KCM which was struggling.
He said KCM was currently failing to meet its production targets as well as tax obligations to ZRA.
"Based on the discussion with KCM and ourselves, this team we will constitute is for specific things we want to find out and also KCM, they want to prove to us something that they have been telling us," said Yaluma.
"It's totally agreed by both parties and that is what we want to dwell on.
They have not been honouring or fulfilling their targets and they lack capacity to pay. They are in arrears with ZRA. They are in operations but they are not performing well."
Labels: CHRISTOPHER YALUMA, DAVID KAUNDA, KCM, KISHOR KUMAR, POLLUTION, TAX EVASION, ZRA
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Mine investors have made communities worse - Church
By Misheck Wangwe in Ndola
Wed 17 July 2013, 14:00 CAT
Three Church mother bodies and some civil society organisations say mine investors have not helped the country's poor communities but have instead made them worse in the manner they conduct their business.
Speaking at a media breakfast meeting at Savoy Hotel in Ndola yesterday on behalf of the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and Civil Society Organisations ahead of the International Mining Indaba Conference that begins tommorrow in Ndola, Reverend Petson Kabala who is the co-chairperson of the conference said mining industries had often made communities on the Copperbelt and North Western Provinces worse than they found them due to increased poverty as a result of mining activities affecting their livelihoods.
Rev Kabala said mining was an issue of social justice because its impact on lives, agriculture, rivers and air were mostly borne by the poor.
He said mining was an issue of intergenerational justice where the current burden of huge problems if not rectified would have a serious negative impact on the future.
Rev Kabala said mining should be designed to secure optimal net benefits for the citizens over the long term with lowest social environmental impact.
"Despite Zambia having an abundance of natural resources, it has continued to face the daunting high poverty levels, with the extremely poor people accounting for about 42 per cent which is 5.4 million of the total population while moderate poverty is 18.2 per cent which is 2.4 million people. The question is why are we talking about mining? We are talking about this sector because Zambia's extractive industry has been an essential and integral component of Zambia's economic development which can be traced to pre-colonial days. Mining is the backbone of the economy, the extractive sector accounts for 80 per cent of the export value of which 90 per cent is from copper exports. This sector contributes about 5.1 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 64 per cent to the balance of trade. This however is, despite the comparatively small contribution the sector makes to the treasury through tax revenues since being privatised," Rev Kabala said.
He said the corporations in the extractive sector were multinational and heavy industry players with huge resources and high technological advancements, with the international community on their side and somehow they have over the years managed to get political forces and few weak civil society organisations on their side.
"One unfortunate situation is that majority of our people are illiterate, poor and vulnerable. It remains undisputed that Zambia does not benefit as much as it should from natural resources. Currently the debate on the reintroduction of the windfall tax lingers on. It cannot be argued that it is commonly held by most Zambians that the extractive sector, especially the mining sector is befitting investors more," Rev Kabala said.
And speaking earlier, Ndola district commissioner Rebby Chanda said the PF government was working hard to change the situation to ensure that the country begins to see tangible benefits from the mines.
Chanda said this could be evidenced by the introduction of the Statutory Instrument number 55 and many other deliberate interventions that would trigger substantial benefits for the Zambian economy including the communities where mining activities were being conducted.
Labels: MINING, POLLUTION, ZEC
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Gold rush turning Zimbabwe into wasteland: Coltart
Bare surface ... A gold panner uses a metal dictator to search for gold in Shangani
05/11/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
EDUCATION Minister David Coltart has warned that Zimbabwe faces “long term ruin” from the activities of gold panners – barely a week after President Robert Mugabe announced plans to decriminalise goal panning.
Mugabe, opening Zimbabwe’s fifth parliament on Tuesday last week, declared: “For the illegal panners, steps are on the way to decriminalise and allow them to work in a legal way.”
The plan to legalise gold panning by small scale miners, usually working as individuals, was first mooted in May by Mines Minister Obert Mpofu.
At the time, Mugabe voiced support for the move but also sounded caution, saying: “Mpofu gave you the right to korokoza, but let us do it properly. This is our country so we should not leave gullies everywhere or kill our rivers.”
But Coltart has expressed grave concerns about the environmental impact of free-for-all gold mining.
The minister visited Shangani – a small, largely rural outpost between Bulawayo and Gweru – where the discovery of alluvial gold deposits has triggered a massive gold rush.
Here, Coltart says he found “widespread burning of Zimbabwe's bush” by panners who use metal detectors to find gold.
“They cannot operate the detectors in thick bush because obviously grass and bushes get in the way and prevent them from placing the detector a narrow distance above the surface of the ground,” Coltart said.
“I saw the practice 90km from Bulawayo on the Gweru road, near Shangani opposite Fountains Farm... The entire area has been burnt out, as have hundreds of thousands of hectares in Zimbabwe this spring.”
Coltart warned that the burning of the bush would end in large swathes of the country “desecrated”.
“Unless this practice is brought to an end, Zimbabwe is going to be transformed into a wasteland and desert,” he warned.
“Whilst I sympathise with young men who are out of work, we simply have to control this practice as their short term gain is going to be the long term ruin of our beloved nation.”
Free for all ... Gold panners dig up gold in Shangani
According to Mpofu, a third of gold deliveries this year came from small scale miners commonly known as omakorokoza.
The proposals to reform mining laws have not been published, but Mpofu indicated last week that the gold panners would be issued with free operating licences.
Conservationists worry that it would be difficult to police the gold panners to force them to adhere to operating guidelines.
Labels: DAVID COLTART, GOLD, OBERT MPOFU, POLLUTION, ROBERT MUGABE
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Globalism Is Killing Us All
Thursday, 25 October 2012 14:20
By Thom Hartmann and Sam Sacks,
The Daily Take | Op-Ed
In the past, diseases like tuberculosis and malaria have been number one health concerns around the world. But not anymore. In today's world, globalization is the number one health risk facing humanity.
A new study released this week by the Blacksmith Institute reveals, for the first time ever, the impact of industrial pollutants on communities across the planet. It found that industrial waste dump sites containing toxic horrors like lead, mercury, and chromium, poison more than 125 million people in 49 different low and middle income nations around the planet. And the authors of the study say this is a very conservative estimate and likely even more people are sickened by this rampant industrial pollution. In fact, the report says that industrial pollution is now a bigger global health problem for the world than malaria and tuberculosis.
Just look at what's happening in places like Zamfara, Nigeria. It's a state without children – or, at least, very few children walking around.
Why? Because hundreds of children who work in gold mines are exposed to high levels of lead. Back in March of 2010, the organization Doctors Without Borders arrived on the scene in Zamfara and found that hundreds of children had died from lead poisoning and thousands more were diseased by it. Mortality rates in some villages were as high as 43%.
This is a genocide carried out by transnational corporations that have no restraints on how they operate in what were once sovereign nations. And ultimately, this is a consequence of globalism.
Plain and simple, globalization is the empowering of transnational corporations and the neutering of sovereign governments to keep their populations safe from these transnational corporate behemoths.
Globalization tears down borders across the planet. It gives corporations free rein to move about the world and set up shop in nations wherever governments are the weakest, wherever there's the least amount of regulation, and wherever workers are willing to work for practically nothing.
And since most transnational corporations are far wealthier than nations in the developing world, they just move in and take over, enslaving local populations and using local communities as garbage dumps.
It's really simple: when you let corporations do whatever they want without regulation, when you leave their drive for never-ending profits unchecked, then they invariably will stop at nothing to satisfy their greed.
If it means they'll save a few million bucks a year, then they'll dump battery acid all over a playground if you let them. They are profit-making machines without compassion.
And as Richard Fuller, the President of the BlackSmith Institute, warned it's only going to get worse. "Life-threatening pollution will likely increase as the global economy exerts an ever-increasing pressure on industry to meet growing demands,” he said. “The damage will be greatest in many low and middle-income countries, where industrial pollution prevention regulations and measures have not kept pace."
But it's not just the developing world that's being poisoned - it's the United States, too.
According to that same report, there are as many as 300,000 toxic dump sites in the United States alone. And that doesn't include the over 400,000 fracking wells around the United States.
Industry funded scientists say that fracking is perfectly safe, however, study after study shows it’s deadly. Just last week, a new study on fracking found that the closer residents live to fracking wells the more they suffered from symptoms of throat irritation and sinus infections. Even their pets suffered from the same ailments, and in some cases died. Water and air samples in areas near fracking wells were also found to contain high levels of chemicals associated with fracking.
Americans could have been protected from these dangers of industrial fracking, but Dick Cheney - being a loyal corporate globalist - put in an exemption for the fracking industry in 2004 that keeps the EPA from regulating fracking under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Since then, fracking has exploded and so have diseases associated with fracking. Yet Republicans want this epidemic to continue. Texas Governor Rick Perry so eloquently recited the mantra of the corporate globalists while he was running for President, “America needs to be about freedom,” he said, “freedom from over-taxation, freedom from over-litigation, freedom from over-regulation.”
Let me translate that for you: That means freedom for chemical companies to dump pesticides in our backyards, freedom for fracking companies to inject toxins in our drinking water, and freedom for oil companies to spew unlimited amounts of carbon into our air to accelerate global climate change.
These guys want the new Zamfara, Nigeria to be in Pennsylvania.
The point of all this is corporate globalism is killing us all. Without government regulations in place to keep "we the people" safe from industrial malfeasance, then say hello to ever increasing cases of cancer, asthma, heart disease, you name it.
This struggle is nothing new. In fact, it's as old as time. It's the struggle between organized people (or governments) and organized money (or transnational corporations).
We rebelled against transnational corporate power in the form of the East India Tea Company back in 1773, leading to our national independence a few years later. And today - almost 230 years later - we need another revolution against these transnational corporate killers.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license.
Thom Hartmann and Sam Sacks
Thom Hartmann is a New York Times bestselling Project Censored Award winning author and host of a nationally syndicated progressive radio talk show.
Sam Sacks is a Progressive Commentator and former Democratic staffer on Capitol Hill. He is currently the Senior Producer of The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann airing weeknights at 7PM EST on RT and Free Speech TV.
Labels: GLOBALISATION, POLLUTION
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COMMENT - Say no to the destruction of Lake Malawi, which is what this is, and with it the destruction of the Malawian people, who depend on it's existence.
Say no to oil drilling in Lake Malawi : Allan Ngumuya’s standpoint
By Allan Hendry Ngumuya
September 25, 2012
As a citizen of the Republic of Malawi I would like to share, may be a little civic education on the subject above. This article is written without any political agenda, no! But, it is a real concern from deep down my heart.
I am also trying to educate those who do not know the effects of oil drilling, at the same time, what affect oil drilling. As a result, Malawians must stand up in unison and put a stop to oil drilling.
Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa, a home to almost 1000 species. Lake malawi lies along the rift valley. Lake Malawi helps local people about 1.5million in districts like Karonga, which has the population of over 190,000 Nkhata- Bay which has the population of over 165,000 Nkhota-kota which has the population of over 225,000 Salima which has the population of over 245,000 and Mangochi with population of over 610,000.
Looking at these statistics 95% of the people from each districts, depend on commercial activities from this beautiful Lake Malawi. Lake malawi provides the most essential proteins to all 13,000,000 people of malawi and around the world. It is believed that Lake malawi has lived more than 2,000,000 years ago.
Oil and drilling on Lake Malawi ?
Oil drilling potentially have negative effects, especially to the local ecosystem. There are so many ways that can easily cause this to happen e.g. (A Spill): A spill can cause catastrophic damage if it is not contained quickly.People in these districts will feel the effect within a short period of time. This is the same as killing the back bone of socio-economical to Malawians.
We must think deep and have a vision for our country, ask: the decision we are making, what impact is it going to have on Malawians as a country ? Are our decisions helpful in the next 10-100 or even 1000 years to come? Thirdly and most important, let Malawians be involved in such critical times before the minority (government officials) make decisions for majority the (government, the people of Malawi).
If government officials make quick and hest decisions, Our lake will end up having no value at all, properties along this lake are going to be of no use. Think of all the resorts, hotels, beaches, commercial, and socio activities that are taking place there right now? From karonga to Mangochi such activities will not be there anymore. What about the people and wild life on Likoma Island, Chizumulu island, Birds island? Just to mentions a few hot spots. Oil leaks or spills can also have extremely negative effects on natural environment, containment failure, run off, pipeline accidents, and direct discharge.
We must know that no matter what, offshore Oil and Gas drilling releases toxic chemicals, these chemicals poses a significant risk to the environment. These risks affects wild life (aquatic ecosystem) and developmental effects. These toxic chemicals can accumulate and magnify in the food chain. This endangers the aquatic organisms higher in food chain such as fish and birds. This can also lead to a long term chronic exposure for aquatic organisms.
Economically, oil drilling will have an effect on tourism. The money that has been brought into malawi for the past 100 years and the years to come through this lake, can not be worth the oil that can be drilled from this lake. The quality of water as we speak is very healthy and clean. If we want to move with the world on green act law, (Malawi Go Green), Lake Malawi is our only hope in reaching such goals. We can use this lake by (eg). using solar irrigation system to areas that have no electricity and areas that are hard to find water for domestic and farm produce use. Having used the lake in this way, can help us to kill two birds with one stone, it can be an opening to many job opportunities to Malawians. Mind you, this can only be achieved if we keep our lake out from oil drilling.
Human and health impacts of oil leaks commonly occurs. People along the whole lake are going to be exposed to toxic chemicals from drilling wastes. As pollutants from oil drilling builds up in food chain, people who consume fish and other aquatic foods from Lake Malawi will be at a serious risk of health problems. There are so many diseases out there such as cancer and genetic defects. That can be so devastating to a country with small and limited economical resources like Malawi.
We must not only think or look at it financially gain, no, lets think about our people who live, breath, think and do all their day today undertakings using Lake Malawi as their primary life saver to have peace of mind. Peace of mind just as money is a result of what we do with who we are.
There will never be a recovery or repair to this beautiful lake. This is a big source of proteins, calcium, etc. A body with healthy and quality water. This lake is our Gold, let us not betray our great Lake by allowing these companies from the East, West, South or North exploiting our natural resources. As much as we are all aware that most of our natural resources has already been destroyed from luck of civic education on nature reserve.
Malawians, not anyone else, are the People who are more concerned. These companies have no concern at all, they are aiming at destroying our natural resources as much as they can, then leave us with a lake without any use or meaning. They will turn it into a dumping sink hole. Please my beloved Malawians, let us stand up and say “NO” to Oil drilling on Lake Malawi. “NEVER”.
Ask them, to go and drill in their countries. They have their own water bodies, but they can not drill because of the same reasons listed above. Their countries are still intact. It does not mean they don’t have oil, No, but, they do preserve their natural resources as well. They pretty much know that. These kind of natural resources bring about the beauty of their countries just as ours. They are stopped by their people. So do we.
As it has been stated already, Malawi must look towards 100 years or more to come, what lake Malawi can bring to it’s people. Let us say NO! To oil drilling on Lake Malawi.
*The author , Allan Ngumuya, is one of great gospel recorting musician in Malawi
Labels: ENVIRONMENT, MALAWI, POLLUTION
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Of war and dying for my country: The case of Lake Malawi
By Prince Bright Majiga
August 16, 2012
There are but two types of men who desire war: those who haven’t the slightest intention of fighting it themselves, and those who haven’t the slightest idea what it is. … Any man who has seen the face of death knows better than to seek him out a second time. — Abraham Lincoln For the past three weeks or so, there have been reports of a diplomatic stand-off between Malawi and her eastern neighbor, Tanzania, over the ownership of Lake Malawi. That is regrettable. However, that is expected, for in the affairs of nations, disagreements are inevitable. It has been claimed that Tanzania’s renewed interest in the lake is due to possible discovery of oil. Whether that is true or not, is not the aim of this essay to show. However, disturbing trends have largely been about war talk (both subtle and direct) from both sides, officially and otherwise. My take is that this war mongering is needless, irresponsible and is rooted in the rocky soils of sentimentalism and not in common sense and reason.
War is sweet to those who have never fought it. Reality tells us that once one hears the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat. Indeed, if we really saw war, what war does to young minds and bodies, it would be impossible to embrace the myth of war. If we had to stand over the mangled corpses of school children killed in South Sudan, Angola, DRC or Libya and listen to the wails of their parents, we would not be able to repeat arguments we use to justify war. This is why war is carefully sanitized. This is why we are given war’s perverse and dark thrill but are spared from seeing war’s consequences. The mythic visions of war keep it heroic and entertaining.
As the situation between Malawi and Tanzania stands now, diplomacy is the way to go for both nations. Diplomacy will help both sides avoid needless bloodshed. For example, if on the negotiating table Malawi accepts to cede 50 percent of its northern part of the lake to Tanzania, it will do so without any Malawian dying for the nation.
The same case also applies to Tanzania. If Tanzania agrees to yield the part it claims as hers to Malawi, some youths in Mwanza or Dodoma today won’t have to die from Malawian bullets. Methinks it is not in the best interests of the two nations to involve themselves in a senseless war only for their leaders to later to come to their senses and resolve to solve the problem in air-conditioned hotels somewhere in exotic parts of Europe or East Africa.
Yes, we should avoid the classical situation whereby the master class always declares the wars and the subject class fights the battles. Reality tells us the master class has all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has nothing to gain and all to lose – especially their lives. And in the case of Tanzania being a neighbor whom Malawi relies for many of her imports and exports to pass through, we risk a situation where we might “win a war but lose the peace”.
Sadly, this war talk has made many people lose sight of key questions that should be tackled. Issues over how residents and the environment will be affected by oil drilling, or how disempowered communities might benefit from major finds are not being addressed/tackled as comprehensively. These issues need to be discussed and addressed, especially given that information about existing taxation and fiscal distribution systems in Malawi, and probably Tanzania on the other hand, is at times clouded.
Looking at the situation in the Great Lakes region, it can be seen that much of the oil drilling in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique is occurring in areas suffering from poor soil, low water tables and geographical isolation, and in regions in which many residents struggle to find employment. In our case, we should be talking of whether discoveries of valuable natural resources will help or hinder communities around the lake and not of gallant soldiers we have made ourselves believe we have.
This cheap war talk has also in a way taken our eyes off the possible agent of this confrontation – Western corporations. While this is highly speculative, it is an open secret that western corporations involved in arms trade will benefit from an increased demand for their products if the nations at loggerheads decide to go to war. Corporations know that negotiations may lead to a peaceful settlement; and since peace is the enemy of the war industry, they might be seduced to attempt to derail the said peaceful process.
In case someone has doubts over the role of the western war industry in Africa, the question she or he should be asked is “how come wars are failing to stop even though the conflicting parties do not have anything close to a weapons manufacturing factory on their territory?”
As a reminder, oil or any other natural resource is going to be a curse to Africa if there is no better leadership. I am not speaking of leadership that can’t or won’t recognize the need to develop these resources, no. I am talking about leadership that recognizes that need as well as the need to see to it that their citizens, nations and institutions also benefit from the revenues.
Most importantly, instead of indulging in wars of nations; which are fought to change maps, we need leaders who will wage war on of poverty. In doing so, they will mapchange.
Labels: MALAWI, OIL, POLLUTION, TANZANIA
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COMMENT - Don't allow transnational corporations to destroy billions so they can make millions for their shareholders. Lake Malawi is too central to the future of Malawi itself to even risk it being destroyed for someone else's gain.
Oil drilling in Lake Malawi: What we can learn from Deepwater Horizon
By Ben Fuchs and John Hays
August 8, 2012
Realizing the irresponsible nature of gambling on tobacco as the nation’s hallmark industry, President Banda has wisely supported efforts to diversify the economy by encouraging development in other areas. Unfortunately, the most significant of these targeted industries – nature-based tourism and mineral extraction – cannot effectively coexist without extremely thoughtful and sophisticated management. To that end, the government’s recent actions indicating
support for oil drilling in Lake Malawi display an alarming lack of foresight and, frankly, make little economic sense for the vast majority of Malawians.
As a rural society blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, Malawi depends on the allure of its mountains, water bodies, forests and plateaus to bring in tourists and their much-needed foreign currency. Lake Malawi is, of course, the preeminent draw – and the source of income for millions of Malawians who depend on tourism, fishing, and various supportive industries for their livelihoods.
Yet the threat of pollution in the lake is nothing new: The massive Kayelekera Uranium Mine, for example, has stoked recent concern due to its construction in an earthquake-prone watershed that feeds into Lake Malawi. Just as a major spill of radioactive wastewater would have catastrophic effects upon the lake and its tourism and fishing industries, it stands to reason that a substantial oil spill could devastate the lake and the millions of lives it supports on a daily basis.
L-R: Benard Membe (Tanzania, Minister) - Ephraim Chiume (Malawi, Minister) enjoy a cup of tea at the Kilimanjaro Hyatt Regency in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in August 2012, before the lake Malawi/Nyasa discussion.
As law students from the United States working in Malawi this winter for Friends of the Earth International, we are monitoring the growing search for oil in Lake Malawi with recent and direct knowledge of the impact oil drilling can have on an ecosystem and its attendant industries: We study at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, which is situated less than 150 kilometers from where the British Petroleum-contracted Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank in April 2010, spewing nearly five million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico over the following three months. The fishing industry along the American Gulf Coast was decimated, with tens of thousands of people suddenly out of work and many more negatively affected. In short, the worst environmental disaster in the history of the United States.
Fast-forward two years: In spite of multibillion-dollar cleanup campaigns in the region, yields of shrimp, oysters, and other fish species are still a fraction of what they were before the spill. Tourism in Louisiana and other states continues to suffer. The thousands of unemployed residents who formerly worked in fishing and/or tourism now depend increasingly on the fossil fuel industry for jobs and income.
The oil spill, in effect, transformed a relatively diverse economy that had relied primarily on extraction, fishing and tourism into one that relies more than ever on oil and gas extraction – that is, a more homogenous economy where the dominant industry is the very one responsible for effectively ruining the environment and economic diversity of the place.
The basic parallels between the economies of the American Gulf Coast and Malawi are striking: From Karonga to Mangochi, millions of Malawians make their living by fishing in Lake Malawi, feeding millions more by harvesting chambo, usipa, kampango, and other species through healthy, small-scale operations. Another large segment of Malawi’s population depends on income from tourists drawn to such resort areas as Nkhata Bay and Cape Maclear by the lake’s pristine water clarity and clean, sandy beaches.
Moreover, Lake Malawi possesses two qualities that distinguish it from the Gulf of Mexico and magnify the threat posed by oil drilling in its waters: First, the lake – along with its two Great Lake counterparts to the north – supports more biodiversity than any other lake in the world, with roughly 1,000 different species of fish thriving in its clear waters.
In addition to serving as a source of fascination and scholarship for biologists worldwide, this abundance of aquatic life, coupled with consistently impressive water clarity, has allowed Malawi to develop into a prime destination for snorkeling and diving – activities that have never seemed especially inviting in the muddy Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, many, if not most, foreign tourists engage in one of these activities while visiting the major lake resorts. Thus, while the Deepwater Horizon spill did not significantly harm such forms of tourism in the United States, a significant oil spill in Lake Malawi would likely! have a ruinous effect on these major forces behind the tourism economy here.
Second, Lake Malawi is, well, a lake. The oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill dispersed somewhat thanks to oceanic currents and the Gulf’s considerable depth – to the point, in fact, where researchers cannot even find a large portion of the spilled oil (though its harmful ecological effects are, of course, becoming increasingly evident).
Lake Malawi, on the other hand, is comparatively shallow and stagnant. Thus, it stands to reason that any oil spilled in the lake would not benefit from the same natural dispersion as would a similar spill in the open ocean. Depending on the size and location of the spill as well as the timeliness and adequacy of the cleanup effort, Lake Malawi’s ecosystems and the industries they support could well be destroyed by a spill a mere fraction the size of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Entertain for a moment, then, such a post-spill vision of the lake: Iridescent globules of petroleum replace the lake’s legendary array of cichlids. Fish eagles, coated in crude, flounder in the shallows. No more dried chambo in the market. No more foreign tourist dollars flowing in at Nkhata Bay or Cape Maclear. And no more usipa next to your nsima.
All for a one-time payday that will likely only provide a substantial benefit to foreign oil conglomerates and the MPs who championed them.
Ask yourself, Malawi: Is it worth it?
**Ben Fuchs and John Hays work in Malawi as legal clerks with Friends of the Earth International, a Netherlands-based environmental organization with affiliates in 76 countries worldwide. They are also currently studying at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Labels: ENVIRONMENT, MALAWI, OIL, POLLUTION
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BP and Other Robber Barons: We Reject Your Apology; We Demand Change
John Perkins
Author, Hoodwinked
Posted: June 24, 2010 09:40 AM
"As a consequence of this agreement, the BP Board has reviewed its dividend policy. Notwithstanding BP's strong financial and asset position, the current circumstances require the Board to be prudent and it has therefore decided to cancel the previously declared first quarter dividend scheduled for payment on 21st June, and that no interim dividends will be declared in respect of the second and third quarters of 2010. The Board remains strongly committed to the payment of future dividends and delivering long term value to shareholders."
BP, along with apologizing to our nation, also notified its stockholders to stop expecting dividend payouts for many quarters to come. It's a sign of our times and corporate priorities that at the moment of the televised apology, the company's statement on its website seemed more concerned with shareholders than it did with the tragic circumstances at hand. See the full statement here.
Simple apologies -- even billion dollar ones to television viewers by the BP executives -- are not acceptable. Nor is it acceptable to stop off-shore US drilling and send our pollution to other fragile areas of our precious planet.
We simply must put an end to the wanton depletion of oil and other resources for bottom-line gain.
And let's not forget just a few of many other examples:
* Chevron reported that its first quarter profits this year had soared to record highs, up by 148%, and that it is headed toward an annual profit of nearly20 billion. Chevron is the company that has consistently refused to clean up the mess its subsidiary, Texaco, made in the Ecuadorian Amazon where it knowingly and intentionally dumped more than 18 times the Exxon Valdez oil spill (and at this writing more than 300 times the BP spill) into the rainforests, killing untold numbers of animals, plants, and people. A27 billion lawsuit has been filed against Chevron on behalf of 30,000 indigenous people.
* Exxon earned over 45 billion in profits in 2009 and has recorded paying no US income taxes -- and continues to refuse to pay for the true costs incurred by the Valdez disaster.
* General Electric generated 10 billion in pretax income, but claimed it owed nothing in taxes. In fact, it recorded earning a tax benefit of1.1 billion.
* In May 2010, The New York Times reported that the nation's largest banks managed to make money from trading every single day during the first three months of this year when the rest of us suffered through a crippling recession. Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase all finished with what is known as a perfect quarter -- they went without losing money on a single day -- as rare as perfect games in Major League Baseball.
We must put an end to a predatory form of capitalism that has spread across the globe in the past half century. We must not be blinded by its greed and false promises of a shopping mall nirvana.
This predatory form of capitalism is a disease. It threatens to consume us. When we see pictures of the BP oil spill spreading across the waters, let us all know that this oil spill is also a symbol for the mutant virus contaminating the entire planet. It is a disgustingly slick, real-life horror film that we must choose to no longer view only as audience members. We need to fully comprehend the fact that if you and I do not stop this disease it will kill our children and grandchildren.
In the current global economic crisis, we see how so many resources are wasted casually and depleted unnecessarily. Our corporations continue to drill, mine, extract, and manufacture with reckless abandon. The mantra that the only responsibility of business is to maximize short-term profits has created an unrealistic and devastating effect on the entire world.
The time has arrived for change, for each of us to insist that President Obama and all the other politicians commit to creating a sustainable and just economic system. Stopping our addiction to oil is a crucial step; yet we must take many steps beyond that.
Let this oil spill be the villain who shakes us awake. As we wake up, let's "Just say No" to BP -- "No, your apology is not good enough." Let's say "No" to Chevron, Exxon, GE, Goldman Sachs and all the other robber barons who promote an economic system that is destroying us.
Let's say "Yes" to establishing a new priority: a sustainable and just economy. Let's commit to standing firm, walking hand-in-hand together along a path that leads to a world we will want to pass on to future generations.
Labels: JOHN PERKINS, POLLUTION, TAX EVASION
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ZAMBIAN ECONOMIST
Ideas for a better Zambia
WINDFALL TAX CONTROVERSY – A CRITICAL ANALYSIS
by dr. Kaela Mulenga
The Concerns
It is nice to feel that one comes from a country like Zambia which is blessed with abundant natural resources and minerals like copper (cu), cobalt, uranium and others. But the celebratory mood soon dissipates when especially one looks at the situation in the long run –for these resources can get exhausted.Take copper for instance, this is not only a waste resource, but since it is finite, at some point later, it will therefore be exhausted. What happens then? As one politician lamented,once all the profitable minerals are taken out all we’ll have left with will be “big holes” in the ground.
Some estimates put our love affair with copper to end in 50 years. That means my 7 year old granddaughter will only be 57 years old then. What will she live on there after?This situation is compounded because while copper life is going good, currently hardly any savings are being made for neither a rainy day nor any substantial investments; are being undertaken to diversify our economic activities away from copper. When debating on windfall taxes– Hon Yamfwa Mukanga (Kantanshi Constituency MP ) said, “We need something to show to our children when copper is gone that – this is what we built from the copper taxes”1.
Today, probably more than 90% of our GDP is generated from copper proceeds. In short, no copper no economic growth and no growth, no reduction in poverty. Itis that simple. And we should not forget about the reprehensible damage caused by mining activities. Environmental degradation always occurs. So while we mine other ills and hazards are also being created. We have heard stories of poisonous gas fumes in Mufulira, contaminated Kafue river, and not to ignore the huge copper waste dump in Nkana. All the bad by-products produce a social cost. But who is going to pay for these costs? These costs are externalities to the producer and are never taken into consideration. Corporate social responsibility is not on the agenda of many companies. When air is polluted and drinking water is full of toxic effluents and chemicals – our health is compromised.
So, even if all the profits from minerals were to be surrendered to us, it would be too late – for everybody would be dead by then.If the long-term prospects are bleak because of depletion – in the medium to long-term, we’llalso be faced with problems of substitution effects. That is, as the price of copper soars,consumption of this commodity is bound to plateau. Why? In due course, persistently high price would force copper consumer industries in China, India, Japan and elsewhere to look for other cheaper substitutes.
All profit making organizations in free enterprise, behave that way. They aim for cutting costs to boost their profits. As we speak, already copper has lost some market to alternative materials like aluminum and plastics. When the price of expensive nickel fell from $50,000 per tone to below 50percent more of it got used instead of copper. Hence, the higher the copper price, could eventually outstrip its viability for use in say construction piping. In addition, architecture, plumbing and other energy efficient methods have impacted copper demand somehow. In China perhaps the largest consumer of copper, they have started using simpler fabricated products for roofing. Plumbers have switched to PVC tubing instead of copper.
http://www.zambian-economist.com/2010/11/coalition-for-windfall-tax.html 1
Simply put, due to inventions and/or new technology, we could one day wake up and find our copper completelyobsoleteor 100% replaceable. We should also not ignore the fact that economic growth even in China has began to slow down. Mind you, we don’t even know how much stockpiling Chinese have been doing. We can’t bank our hopes only on the fact that China continues to consume some 65% of all world produced copper to feed its modernization program for electricity and infrastructure expansion. From experience, we should also know that eventually, the total world demand is bound to fall – along with the price.
We can recall that copper prices fell drastically in late 70s/ early 80s under Kenneth Kaunda’s rule. Also if we were to take into account the impact of excessive supply on the price from other producers (whose decisions are beyond our control) like: Chile, Mexico, Peru, Russia, DR Congo, and China itself – [if it so wished to influence prices], we can’t be banking on perpetually good copper prices.
In summary – these are some of the issues we should keep in the background I think, when we discuss this sensitive but import matter of windfall taxes. The Big Debate In our local media – newspapers, TV, Radios and discussion forums on the internet –especially the social websites: a heated debate is raging on regarding different forms of mineral taxes: royalties, operating profits taxes, and in particular –WINDFALL TAX a form of taxing the revenues. Revenues in this case concerns copper earnings. And the question is: should Zambia levy these revenues, and if so, by how much? Should our concern only be limited to profits? This serious debate has developed into two distinct camps – one pro and the other against, basically there-introduction of windfall tax(WT).
Unlike LAZ who offer their opinion on important national issues, our EAZ stays silent. I have taken liberty to offer my own opinion.The sharpest salvo on WT came from the current PF Minister of Finance –Hon Alexander Bwalya Chikwanda(ABC or Alex), who has labeled those seeking the re-introduction of the25% windfall tax as “lunatics”. [The Post, March 22, 2012 ].
Alex thinks that production costs – including sea and inland costs are already enough burdens on producers. As such, then we shouldn’t levy them more – apart from the merger 6 per cent royalties he proposed in the budget.This position is probably not shared by some of the PF “back bench” or “freshmen ones”,especially those who faced the youth and miners in the campaign like Hon Wylbur Simuusa (Nchanga Constituency MP). As one might expect, the sharpest response to counter this, comes from none other than the former Minister of Finance under Pres. Patrick Levy Mwanawasa (Levy) –Ng’andu Magande. Curiously both men happen to be economists. Magande who by the way first proposed windfall taxes sharply argues that: Windfall Taxes are a must if Zambia is to raise sufficient revenue – while the going is good with copper prices for investments and the diversification program. He adds that – “moreover PF was propped into power on thepromise of re-introducing the very WTax”. [The Post, March 23, 2012 ]. So why chicken outnow, he asks?2
In addition Magande strongly feels that, re-introducing WTax now would be agood policy direction– without which otherwise the investors’ confidence would be affected. He further feels that, flip flopping on WT question puts pressure on the Zambian Kwacha. A third force in this discussion comes from the previous MMD government people – best represented by ex Minister of Finance– Hon.Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane. Without explicitly saying whether he is for windfall tax or not, Musokotwane however charges that –so long as PF government fails to immediately re-instate the WT as they promised during the September campaign, getting to power would be seen as by “false pretences”. [The Post,December 7, 2011].
Under Pres Rupiah Banda (RB), Musokotwane was the strongest voice fighting against there-introduction of windfall tax, even if many people still remained skeptical. In fact, there are many Zambians who accused both Musokotwane and RB as being unpatriotic sons for opposing the windfall tax. The inspiration for what I call “RB/Musokotwane doctrine” was based on the premise that – China would continue propping up Zambia financially, hence,sources of budget money was secure.
Along these lines – i.e. being either in favor of or against WT, let me now discuss somemain themes I see pertain to either side. For those seeking more details, there is a robust debate on this topic onZambian Economist. [see www. zambian-economist.com]. About ayear or two ago, Chola Mukanga (Cho) – founder of Zambian Economist, presented an excellent discussion on WT in an essay form headed: Eight Reasons for Rejecting Higher Mineral Taxes. Cho discussed in detail pros and cons for each reason. My attempt here is therefore not to repeat that discussion but just to draw distinct boundaries between those who support the re-introduction of WT and those who don’t. A foundation weshall fall back on later when I go through the economic analysis. Among the arguments raised by those who are against higher taxes (the Musokotwane group) – increasing windfall taxes, include:-?
This camp contends that there is no investor who could risk their capital if at all they cannot expect good returns. By extension, this group therefore sees low taxation as a strong incentive for attracting more investments.?They argue that unless you have favorable tax holidays, concessions, and exemption or low both royalties and windfall taxes, you cannot expect to attract foreign direct investments (FDI). [The assumption here being that the bulk of investments would have to come from outside].?Regarding the viability of taxes, Prof Clive Chirwa, a presidential aspirant (Bolton University ) – [see Zambian Economist, Nov, 2010 ], observed that: “good investors with a heart will accept tax of eight per cent on royalty and 25 percent on windfall tax”.? But this group believes that if the PF government re-introduces a 25% windfall tax that would be scaring away new investors. In cases where agreements and other concessions have been signed between the Zambian government and the mining investors – those should not be broken, terminated or tampered with. Doing so would not only be regarded as violation of ‘Rule of Law’ , but would be sending a bad signal to the investors. According to this view, the rule of law means respecting international agreements, which are legal contacts. These must remain binding no matter what.3
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Labels: MINING, POLLUTION, WINDFALL TAX
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COMMENT - Big winners of the Oil Wars: The Rockefellers (
CFR,
PNAC,
Bilderberg Group,
Trilateral Commission). Once called Standard Oil (est. 1870),
they are now Chevron and Exxon. And of course JP Morgan. And Exxon Mobile just moved into the Forbes 500 number one slot, edging out the Walton family's Wal-Mart.
From CNN/Fortune Magazine (Forbes) Mr. Rockefeller would like to thank the people of Iraq, Libya and in fact the world, for their generous contributions to his personal fortune. The fact that they had no choice in the matter is for historians to study, as it has been for the last 150 some years. - MrK
FORTUNE 500: A NEW No. 1
1. Exxon Mobil
Exxon Mobil
Get Quote: XOM
Financials: Latest Results
Rank: 1 (Previous rank: 2)
CEO: Rex W. Tillerson
Was this company a 2011 top stock?
It's tough to beat the kind of year Exxon Mobil had in 2011. Shares rose by 20% and profits surged by 35% to $41.1 billion. Revenues jumped 28% to $452.9 billion, helping Exxon reclaim the top spot in the Fortune 500.
Exxon has certainly benefited from rising oil prices, particularly during the last quarter of 2011. But the company has also positioned itself well to capitalize on the latest controversial trend in domestic energy production: Fracking. Exxon now produces just about as much gas as it does oil, thanks to its $35 billion purchase of XTO Energy in 2010. As CEO Rex Tillerson told Fortune recently, with world demand for energy expected to rise considerably during the coming decades, the shale gas party has just begun.
Labels: EXXON MOBIL, NEOCOLONIALISM, POLLUTION
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Scott to meet MCM, ZEMA over closed leaching plant
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Tue 27 Mar. 2012, 12:57 CAT
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott is today expected to meet Mopani Copper Mines and ZEMA in Lusaka to discuss the future of the closed Mufulira West Heap Leaching Mine. And the Southern Africa Resource Watch, which will be part of the meeting, says it expects the government to take punitive measures against Mopani for abrogating the law and polluting the environment.
The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) closed Mopani's the Heap Leaching Mine three weeks ago following complaints by residents of Butondo about massive pollution.
Mopani Copper Mines chief executive officer Danny Callow who confirmed the development said the company hoped that the meeting with the Vice-President Scott would address the issues surrounding the closure of the mine.
Callow said due to the closure of the mine, the company was losing about K525 million a day.
He said 310 jobs might be lost if the mine were not reopened.
"Our hope as a company is that the current situation will not continue because we need to save the mine and the potential job losses which we view as serious. We hope by tomorrow (today), a resolution will be found on how to restart the mine again while making sure that all stakeholders are happy," Callow said.
He said prior to the stop notice which was issued by ZEMA, Mopani engaged the residents of Butondo in a stakeholders forum to try and address the issues surrounding the operations of the Heap Leaching Mine and the acid mists that were allegedly affecting the residents.
Callow said Mopani Copper Mines attached great importance to issues of environmental health and its operations would always be within the confines of the law.
And Southern Africa Resource Watch campaign officer Edward Lange said Mopani Copper Mines must be given a time frame in which to adhere to the set out benchmarks given to them by ZEMA.
Lange said ZEMA and Mopani had the responsibility to ensure protection of the environment and the lives of the people of Butondo before reopening the mine.
"We are going into this meeting with a view that Mopani must be put in its rightful position. We have laws that govern this country and this company is not above the law. The situation on the acid mists that were being released and affecting the people and the environment was extremely unacceptable," said Lange.
Over 3,200 Butondo residents in Mufulira have been pressing government and ZEMA to take action over the strong acid mists that were being produced by the Heap Leaching Mine and had allegedly affected people's health since 2006 when the ponds were commissioned.
ZEMA northern region manager Patson Zulu said the environmental authority had carried out independent investigations and it was discovered that the mine needed critical improvements in its operations to stop the acid mists and other mining activities that were allegedly affecting the environment and the residents' health.
Labels: ENVIRONMENT, GUY SCOTT, MCM, MOPANI, POLLUTION
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Government will not kill a cow that produces milk, Guy Scott assures MOPANI over the shut down plant
TIME PUBLISHED - Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 6:03 am
Vice president Guy Scott has assured Mopani Copper Mines(MCM) that Government will not disappoint the mining firm following the shut down of its leach plant by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency(ZEMA) two weeks ago.
Dr. Scott said that there are no mad people in Government that would kill a cow that produces milk. He said this after a fact finding mission at Mufulira West Mining Project in BUTONDO Township, where MOPANI has been accused of acid pollution.
Decisions by ZEMA have in the past have suffered political interference on pretext of trying to keep investors. So far, the mining firm has ignored ZEMA recommendations and has waged war in the media through statements claiming that 350 workers will be affected with the shut down.
At the beginning of this month, ZEMA ordered Mopani copper Mine to suspend part of its operations at a Leach plant. ZEMA said it had inspected the site and that heap leaching—a process that involves metals being leached from a heap of crushed ore by applying acid to it—couldn’t be resumed until the company had completed eight recommended measures to reduce its effect on the surrounding area.
So far, the mining firm has ignored ZEMA recommendations and has waged war in the media through statements claiming that 350 workers will be affected with the shut down.
ZEMA said local residents in Butondo had complained that acid mist from the leaching process causes health problems and they were seeking compensation from Mopani. The Butondo community complained of noise from the crusher, cracking of houses, vibrations, and dust, the statement said.
“According to health records obtained from Clinics in Butondo, statistics show an increase in the number of cases for pulmonary, throat, nose and ear ailments which were captured between October and December 2011 as compared with the 2008 data for the same months,” the statement said.
MUVI TV
Labels: GUY SCOTT, MOPANI, POLLUTION
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Mopani is uncaring towards host communities, says Lange
By Kabanda Chulu
Mon 12 Mar. 2012, 12:00 CAT
THE statement by Mopani Copper Mines is a clear indication of how uncaring the company policy is towards host communities, says Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) Zambia representative Edward Lange.
Commenting on company chief executive officer Danny Callow's statement that Mopani was surprised at the action taken by ZEMA to shut down its treatment plant and expressed fears for the 310 jobs created by the project, Lange said the government must be vigilant to protect the lives of innocent people in Mufulira.
"Does it make any business sense to express surprise at the closure of the Heap Leach project when people have been living in anguish and pain and there have been stakeholders' discussions around the same project?" Lange asked.
"Does it make any moral sense for a human being worth being a chief executive officer, to fear for the loss of 310 jobs at the expense of more than 3,000 lives? This clearly indicates that Mopani is not interested in resolving this issue amicably as they don't know where the information is coming from leading to the suspension when people are suffering from the presence and operations of the same project."
Lange commended the Zambia Environmental Management Agency for taking a bold stance to shut down the project which had been causing acid fumes that were affecting the host community.
As a result of the acid mist and rainfall, several people have developed chest infections and various cancers and it has been difficult for people to grow food crops except for avocado and cactus plants in Kankoyo and Butondo Townships, which host Mopani mines in Mufulira.
Last week, ZEMA suspended operations at Mopani's Mufulira West Heap Leach Mining project and advised management to put in place measures to reduce effects of pollution in surrounding areas.
But Callow issued a statement refuting the findings of ZEMA, saying that Mopani was surprised by the suspension of a part of its mines, particularly that ZEMA had recently renewed its operating licence.
Labels: EDWARD LANGE, MOPANI, POLLUTION, SARW
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Monsanto’s Roundup Shown to be Ravaging Butterfly Population
by Mike Barrett
Global Research, March 10, 2012
Monsanto’s Roundup, containing the active ingredient glyphosate, has been tied to more health and environmental problems than you could imagine. Similar to how pesticides have been contributing to the bee decline, Monsanto’s Roundup has been tied to the decrease in the population of monarch butterflies by killing the very plants that the butterflies rely on for habitat and food. What’s been shown to be an even greater threat to the population, though, is Monsanto’s Roundup Ready corn and soybeans.
Roundup Ready Crops and Glyphosate Leading to Downfall of Insect Populations
A 2011 study published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity found that increasing acreage of genetically modified Roundup Ready corn and soybeans is heavily contributing to the decline in monarch butterfly populations within North America. Milkweed, a plant butterflies rely on for habitat and food, is being destroyed by the heavy use of glyphosate-based pesticides and Roundup Ready crops. Over the past 17 years, the monarch butterfly population in central Mexico has declined, reaching an all-time low in 2009-2010.
“This milkweed has disappeared from at least 100 million acres of these row crops,” said Dr. Taylor, an insect ecologist at the University of Kansas and director of the research and conservation program Monarch Watch. “Your milkweed is virtually gone…this [glyphosate use on RR crops] is the one main factor that has happened…you look at parts of the Midwest where there is a tremendous use of these crops and you see monarch populations dropping. It’s hard to deny the conclusion.”
According to the Department of Agriculture, in 2011 94 percent of soybeans and 72 percent of corn grown in the United States were herbicide-tolerant. Due to this increase, the amount of Roundup used on crops in 2007 was 5 times higher than in 1997, only one year after Roundup Ready crops were available.
Another study published int he journal Crop Protection and conducted by Robert G Hartzler, an agronomist at Iowa State, found that milkweed on farms in Iowa declined 90 percent from 1999 to 2009. Additionally, his study found milkweed only on 8 percent of corn and soybean fields surveyed in 2009, which is 51 percent lower than in 1999.
Although the butterfly population may be suffering, humans are taking heat from Monsanto’s creations as well. Past research has shown that Monsanto’s Roundup ready crops are leading to mental illness and obesity, primarily by destroying the amount of good bacteria found in the gut. The corporation’s Roundup, containing glyphosate, has also been shown to cause infertility and birth defects.
Glyphosate is so present today that it has been found to be polluting the world’s drinking water through the widespread contamination of aquifers, wells, and springs. What may be most shocking is that very high concentrations of glyphosate have been found in 100 percent of urine samples tested in a recent study.
Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/monsantos-roundup-shown-to-be-ravaging-butterfly-population/#ixzz1oiguPLhX
Global Research Articles by Mike Barrett
Labels: CHEMICALS, MONSANTO, POLLUTION
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MUZ challenges Mopani to end leaching mine Pollution
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe and Gift Chanda in Lusaka
Fri 09 Mar. 2012, 11:59 CAT
MUZ has challenged Mopani Copper Mines to end pollution at Mufulira West
Heap Leaching Mine and save jobs instead of disputing the findings of the environmental authority.
And Mopani Copper Mine's shareholders have ordered the company management to urgently meet officials from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) to address pollution challenges that led to the closure of its treatment plant in Mufulira.
Last Thursday, ZEMA ordered Mopani Copper Mine, a unit of leading swiss global commodity trader Glencore International AG, to suspend operations at its Mufulira West Heap Leaching plant for pollution violations.
In an interview yesterday, Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) general secretary Nkole Chishimba said the defensive position that Mopani had taken over the closed Heap Leaching mine would not compel ZEMA to reopen the plant as the environmental authority had indicated that that would only happen when measures were taken to end the strong acid mists the plant was producing.
He said Mopani should urgently begin to redesign the plant and invest in equipment that would stop the acid mists from polluting Butondo Township in line with ZEMA's recommendations.
Chishimba said Mopani management must protect the 310 jobs created by the Mufulira West Heap Leaching plant by working towards improving its operations to the satisfaction of both the community and the environmental authority.
"We want that mine to reopen because our people need those jobs so workers should not be laid but they are supposed to put them on recess. There is a provision to put workers on recess like it happened in Luanshya when they were redoing the winders at Baluba Mine. They did not fire workers because they realised that it was not a permanent closure. So they should follow the provisions of the recess," Chishimba said.
He said matters of environmental concerns, particularly the allegations of massive pollution of the acid mists the heap leach plant was producing should have been addressed as Butondo residents had been complaining for a long time.
Chishimba said Mopani had the capacity to end pollution, save jobs and protect its operations at Mufulira West Heap Leaching Mine.
But Mopani Copper Mines chief executive officer Danny Callow said the company was surprised at the action taken by ZEMA and expressed fears for the 310 jobs created by the project.
In a statement, Callow said every day of the suspension was costing the company in the region of K525 million and called into question whether Mopani could continue to support the jobs created by the Heap Leach Project.
"Whilst the imminent closure notice appears to have been a precautionary measure on the part of ZEMA, we are not sure where they are getting their information from... We have always conducted our heap leaching project in a responsible manner and in line with or exceeding the terms of license," Callow said.
And according to sources at the mine, management has requested for an audience with ZEMA officials with a view of lifting the suspension of operations at its Mufulira West Heap Leaching plant.
"It seems instructions came from Switzerland where majority shareholders Glencore AG are based, that management should seek audience with ZEMA instead of issuing press statements that are dismissing the findings of the Agency," said the sources.
Last week, ZEMA suspended operations Mopani's Mufurila West Heap Leaching plant over pollution violations.
ZEMA stated that it had inspected the site and that heap leaching - a process that involves metals being leached from a heap of crushed ore by applying acid to the soil-couldn't be resumed until the company had completed eight recommended measures to reduce its effect on the surrounding area.
However, Mopani refuted the findings saying it was "surprised" by the suspension of a part of its mines, particularly since the ZEMA had renewed its operating license recently.
"Mopani's heap leach project has been operating since 2007. It has been properly and closely monitored by the relevant authorities and has always been given a clean bill of health, meeting or exceeding the terms of its license," stated Callow.
Labels: MCM, MOPANI, MUZ, POLLUTION
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MCM plant closure warning to investors, says Matale
By Gift Chanda
Wed 07 Mar. 2012, 11:59 CAT
THE closure of Mopani Copper Mine's treatment plant in Mufurila is a warning to mine investors to invest heavily in environmental protection, says Reverend Suzanne Matale. And Mopani Copper Mine says it was surprised at the action by ZEMA and may be forced to lay off staff following the closure.
Last Thursday, the Zambian Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) ordered Mopani Copper Mine, a unit of leading global commodity trader Glencore International PLC, to suspend operations at its Mufurila West Heap Leaching plant for pollution violations.
"The Council of Churches in Zambia commends the decision by ZEMA to close down the Mopani Copper Mines acid plant situated at Butondo in Mufulira district," Rev Matale said on the development.
"We hope this action will send a strong message to other mine investors to ensure that they invest heavily to protect the environment and people."
She said the action to suspend operations at the plant had been long overdue, adding that human life and the environment had been negatively affected.
"While the acid plant has been closed, the effects of the emissions on people and the environment remain. Skin bleaches, increased respiratory complaints, leached rooftops, and other effects are still with the community. Our question is: whose responsibility is it to compensate the affected individuals and households? CCZ recommends that ZEMA takes MCM to court so that it is made to account for this irresponsible act," said Rev Matale.
But Mopani Copper Mines said it was surprised at the action by the environmental agency and may be forced to lay off staff following the closure.
"ZEMA has closely and properly monitored the Heap Leach project since the project's inception in 2007 and always found the operations to be in compliance with ZEMA regulations," company's chief executive officer Danny Callow said in a statement.
"It is unclear how data from ZEMA's investigations could differ from the previous five years' satisfactory results, evidenced by the continuation by ZEMA of issuing operating licences, including for 2012."
He said Mopani had not been furnished with findings from ZEMA's investigations adding that the shutdown of the plant may affect 300 jobs and 1.5 per cent of Mopani's annual copper production capacity.
"Every day of suspension is costing the company in the region of 525 million kwacha and unfortunately calls into question whether Mopani can continue to support 310 jobs created by the heap leach project," Callow said.
"Whilst the imminent closure notice appears to have been a precautionary measure on the part of ZEMA, we are not sure where they are getting their information from... . We have always conducted our heap leaching project in a responsible manner and in line with or exceeding the terms of our licence."
Mopani's parent company, Glencore, has been accused by non-governmental organisations of tax evasion and widespread pollution, although it has denied the accusation.
The European Investment Bank mid-last year froze all new loans to Glencore and its subsidiary, citing "serious concerns" over the group's corporate governance.
Labels: FDI, MCM, POLLUTION, SUZANNE MATALE
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Mining investments and social responsibility
By The Post
Fri 30 Dec. 2011, 14:00 CAT
INVESTMENT in mining are increasing in our country today. We have been told time and again that massive investments are put up in our country's mineral-rich areas. This is definitely a very good development for our country.
But in saying this, those in government have to ensure that all the investments being attracted into the country benefit the local economy and the people themselves, who are the owners of these natural resources.
We know very well that our people have continued to live on about a dollar per day; our people lack access to proper medical care and facilities; they fail to send their children to school and have little or no access to safe and clean drinking water; our roads are in a pathetic condition and need urgent attention from our government and private institutions who have the Zambian people's interests close to their hearts.
And these problems are usually prevalent in areas where we have seen massive investments taking place, especially in the mining industry.
In order for the mining industry to promote sustainable development among the poorest communities, the government must have robust and clear policies intended to redistribute revenues to benefit local communities; we must have an organised and responsible civil society that is involved in important decisions about policies, and mining companies must operate in responsible ways.
When we talk about having an organised and responsible civil society, we mean having civil society organisations that put people's interests before self, those that ensure that they champion the cause of the majority poor in our society today.
And when we talk about mining companies operating in responsible ways, we mean companies observing our country's laws that govern the industry, paying taxes that are due to the government, re-investing in other sectors of the economy and upholding the tenets of corporate social responsibility.
Although the debate around corporate social responsibility is a complicated one and opinions will obviously depend on one's standpoint, we think that it is a matter that needs serious thought, especially for those in the mining industry.
Are the investors in our country today - local and foreign - living up to their pledges on corporate social responsibility? Are they doing enough in responding to the needs of the communities they operate in? Are they paying adequate taxes to the government? And are they assisting in maintaining key infrastructure such as roads where heavy-duty equipment is transported to various mines?
While we acknowledge that the business or economic environment may not treat all businesses equally, we are aware that some corporations have done quite well in terms of realising profits.
Other than the obvious fact that a good number of multinational corporations are good at externalising their profits, we also know that in most cases, these corporations have no regard for the welfare of society.
We have seen how the environment has been destroyed, how our rivers have been polluted by some corporations, all in the pursuit of profits. We have also seen how workers have been exploited, given slave wages by most multinational corporations, all in the interest of profit making.
Yes, we know that our labour laws are quite ridiculous and in most cases mainly favour the interests of corporations.
However, it is not just a question of meeting the legal or statutory obligations. We have seen how most corporations have taken advantage of the minimum wage requirement to pay their workers very poor salaries. We have seen how some corporations have casualised labour just to ensure that their profits are maximised.
These are the areas that need serious consideration. And even in cases where some of the multinational corporations have been given tax exemptions, such gestures have not been reciprocated in terms of paying back to the community.
Today most new investors are not interested in social sectors as was the case in the past.
We have seen how not many new investors are interested in social sectors like education and health as opposed to what was the case in the past where, for instance, the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, apart from focusing on mining activities, was also involved in providing its employees with education, health and sports facilities. With the privatisation of the mines, we have witnessed a decline of investment in other social sectors.
There may be arguments that these areas were not core to the mining business and this may even explain why the sale of the mines excluded previously mine-run schools, hospitals or social clubs.
But we know how much they helped ease the situation for those who were employed by the mines. There is very little regard, if not none at all, for the welfare of the ordinary Zambians living in these communities where massive investments have been placed.
There is very little effort coming from corporations in the mining sector. Only a small fraction of the many corporations in mining have significantly made a difference in terms of meeting community needs through investments in social sectors such as health, education and roads.
But as we have already stated, it would appear that businesses are now much more focused on profits only. They do not want to care much about the health or education concerns of their employees, and even communities they operate from, apart from the fact that in most cases these employees get very low wages.
There are some corporations that pay their employees exactly or just above the minimum wage requirement of about K400,000. And we should not forget that the minimum wage was at one time K95,000 only.
Some employers were not even ashamed to pay their workers as little as this paltry amount. And this is besides the fact that the basic needs basket is way beyond K2 million per month for a family of six.
It is even more shameful that some business entities were complaining about the plans by the government to adjust the minimum wage level from the current K400,000. But we know that even the present minimum wage level of K400,000 requirement is just too low when compared with the reality on the ground.
What can an individual with a family of six do with K400,000 per month? We are talking about a wage where an employee is not only expected to buy food but also to pay for their children's school fees and other needs.
Further, some companies do not want to employ on permanent basis so that they can avoid certain statutory obligations. This may not be illegal, but it is a matter of moral conscience. We think that there must be morals even in the way business is done.
We think that these big corporations should be investing not only for profits but also investing in the communities by demonstrating social concern through investments in sustainable development programmes. The corporate world should start taking centre-stage in development initiatives. This is one way in which they can help to fight poverty and under-development in our communities.
We think that corporations need to involve themselves actively in terms of improving the lives of people within the communities they operate rather than just focus on activities that enhance their profits.
And they can start doing so by firstly ensuring that they give their employees what is suitable to be called a living wage, not the slave wages that still exist in most companies.
It may not be possible for all business entities to be directly involved in community initiatives, but we think that they can contribute positively by ensuring that at least the interests of their employees are well taken care of.
However, for those seen to be involved in community activities, it should not just be a matter of window dressing simply because they have to project some positive impression to the public. We believe that the corporate world has a role to play in developing the communities in which they operate because they are part of those communities.
Labels: MINIMUM WAGE, MINING, POLLUTION
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Rich nations muzzle out African nations
Saturday, 03 December 2011 00:00
[Mrs Florence Nhekairo] Isdore Guvamombe in DURBAN, South Africa
NEGOTIATIONS by developing countries to get binding funding and greenhouse gas emission reduction guarantees under the Kyoto Protocol fizzled from a plenary affair to subtle country to country negotiations, as eking a lasting agreement remained a distant mirage.
Rich nations, some of which had earlier on threatened to pull out of the Kyoto Agreement negotiations, successfully used their financial and political muscle to dismantle open negotiations as the United Nations Climate Change Conference entered day four on Thursday. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialised countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
hese reductions amount to an average of five percent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012 but developed nations feel that it slows their industrialisation.
In an interview, head of the Zimbabwean delegation and Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources Management overt to the covert.
"As it stands we have more or less put aside plenary negotiations and gone for consultations, one on one country negotiations and we hope to finally come up with something.
"As the African group we have taken the position that the Kyoto Agreement cannot die on the African soil.
"We are already affected by climate change and we are seeking funding guarantees for projects and legally binding agreements to reduce greenhouse emissions.
"As developing countries we are not legally bound, we are only asking for a greenhouse funding to offset the intermittent droughts, shifting farming seasons and high temperatures.
"We need funding to help us adapt because to us it means less rains, it means less food and it means less water,'' said Mrs Nhekairo.
At the end, it is envisaged that the developing countries could end up with a win-win situation with the developing world in the form of Kyoto Protocol stage 2 or something else.
Labels: CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION
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