The Caritas worldwide Confederation salutes the recurrence of World Food Day 2017 and welcomes the opportunity to dedicate it to Migration, a theme that - together with Food Security - is very much at the heart of Caritas concern and daily work. Poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition are among the root causes of migration.

Caritas defends human dignity and the right to food for everyone; it works to enhance the well-being of all people in need. We promote small-scale agriculture, particularly family-based, and agroecology as successful strategies for food security and sustainable rural development. Caritas especially promotes the role of women, as critical food producers and providers, and because of their central role in agriculture, by defending their access to education, labour and production resources.

Here below is the entire statement in PDF format:

http://caritaszambia.org/index.php/publications/general/file/117-caritas-international-statement-on-world-food-day-2017

The Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show which is organized by the Agricultural and Commercial Society of Zambia (ACSZ) is the Country’s premier annual show held in the capital city, Lusaka, for five days ending on Farmers Day, a public holiday observed on the first day of August.

The show is the climax of the district and provincial agricultural shows, which are held in the proceeding weeks. Although the focus is on agriculture products grown by small-scale farmers many other entities exhibited at the show.

Exhibitors at the show have over the years included not only local companies and organizations but from other countries also. Some notable foreign participants include China, Egypt, South Africa, Botswana and many others. Over the years the Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show has become a regional meeting place for investors and business people from around southern Africa looking for opportunities and development.

The 2017 91st Agriculture and commercial show of Zambia was this year commissioned under the theme “Promoting a Green Economy”. Caritas Zambia participated under a domesticated theme”125 years of promoting a green Economy” .Under this theme, Caritas Zambia showcased its focus on promotion of sustainable farming methods such as sustainable organic agriculture which is friendly to the needs of nature. At the same time Caritas Zambia displayed how it advocates for formulation and implementation of policies that protect the environment and create awareness among communities on the need to protect the environment.

Through its exhibition, Caritas Zambia showed how it promotes honest and open dialogue with policy makers to raise awareness on the need to take care of the environment even under this great push for development. Empowering citizens to meaningfully engage in environmental protection activities and reconnect them to nature. Caritas Zambia aims at protecting natural resources in a sustainable manner by communities through the promotion of the following practices;

AGRO-ECOLOGY: a sustainable and ecological type of agriculture with low external input and centres of food production that makes the best use of nature’s goods and services while not damaging the natural environment and resources

SUSTAINABLE LAND USE MANAGEMENT:   through practices and technologies that aim to integrate the management of land, water, biodiversity, and other environmental resources to meet human needs while ensuring the long term sustainability of ecosystem services and livelihoods.

FARMER MANAGED NATURAL REGENERATION: a reforestation technique aimed at systematic regeneration and management of trees and shrubs from tree stumps, roots and seeds, and contribute to the restoration of degraded forests.

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION: protection of ecologically sensitive areas, habitats and species in a sustainable manner

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION; through the incorporation of nature based and traditional knowledge solutions into strategies for reduced contribution to climate change impacts. Agro forestry:  for co-delivery of adaptation to and mitigation of climate change and Socio-environmental benefits of agro forestry should be considered in agricultural policies.

ENERGY EFFICIENT COOK STOVES and the sustainable use of RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Further, through its economic and social accountability programme, Caritas Zambia recognizes the importance of economic operations that contribute to the conservation of the environment and ecosystems. As part of its exhibit, Caritas Zambia recognized the fact that the extractive industry has significantly contributed to Zambia’s revenues, foreign exchange and employment. It contributes a staggering 70 percent of Zambia’s total export earnings. However, mining by nature is an economic activity that is averse to the environment. It leaves the land scarred with troughs after it is gone, can reduce air and water quality and in cases where dangerous minerals are mined, they can be harmful to the health of man, plants, animals and the land.

One thing drives Caritas as it looks at our national flag and contemplates on it, the green, which stands for natural vegetation, is far greater than the orange, which stands for the countries mineral wealth. Caritas therefore, endeavor to keep its priorities in line with the national flag especially in relation to environmental preservation.

The extractives industry may be the biggest contributing sector to the economy but it is a finite, wasting industry. Having that in mind the department has done several works in relation to mining

Advocacy work-In promoting green economy and ecological conservation is carried out through the EASP programme. Caritas Zambia has engaged in evidence based advocacy work. It has been working very strongly in North Western province through the Solwezi diocese in advocating for environment protection as the bulk of mining activities shift from the Copper belt.

In the wake of Uranium mining in Zambia, ESAP has continued to advocate for full disclosure of the mining of Uranium in the new Copper belt owing to the potential detrimental effects. The Catholic-run organizations demanded for a full disclosure of the mining of uranium in the province, saying the mineral was toxic and a threat to the wellbeing of people if not properly handled.

In a research on the impact of mining, on three cohorts in pre, post and active mining areas, there is a drive for the programme to use the experiences of post mining areas like Kabwe, (and active mining areas) that have borne the negative environmental brunt of mining operations to sensitize in pre mining areas about the potential negative impacts mines can have on the environment. As such the communities enter a social contract with mining companies with full knowledge of the potential negative impacts mineral exploitation can have on their environment and thus demand for environmentally friendly business practice.

ESAP has also worked on empowering communities in North Western province with the power to hold mining companies to account in the event of water pollution by means of water testers. This is based on an evidence based approach, grassroots driven advocacy and change.

In looking at life beyond mining and indeed sustainable development, ESAP has been calling for the government to critically look at the Environmental Protection Fund of 1998 that was enacted in 2008. Caritas Zambia has noted with concern that the 2015 Zambia Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative report, none of the mines (large, small or artisanal mines) contributed to the fund.  This makes sad reading as the fund is meant to rehabilitate the mining site if the mine fails to do itself post mining activities. Caritas is therefore calling for the fund to be reviewed and to be sternly enforced to ensure life goes on beyond mining.

The 2017 show for Caritas, ended in style as they scooped a prize in the best NGO exhibit category, 2nd place.

Caritas Zambia is concerned over the low maize price floated at ZMW60/50kg bag this year. Compared to last year, this is a ZMW25 reduction per bag in a situation where the cost of input and labour has gone up. It is evident that this price will not benefit small scale farmers in any way, but rather leave a farmer making huge losses from which recovery will be difficult.  Apparently, low crop prices is not only associated with maize grain, it also applies to soya beans as well which has dropped from ZMW5 per kg to ZMW1.50.

This study is a collaboration of partners of Diakonia Zambia and the Joint Country Programme (JCP) Zambia namely Caritas Zambia, Catholic Diocese of Solwezi (CDOS), Publish What You Pay (PWYP), Jesuit Center for Theological Reflections (JCTR), Extractive Industries Transparency Alliance (EITA), Youth Alliance for Development (YAD) and Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP).

The report was written by Felix Ngosa and Edmond Kangamungazi with support from Cecilia Chisala, Chisomo Phiri, Edward Nkula Goma, Inonge Sakala, Kazhike Sakala, Mukupa Nsenduluka, Mtwalo Msoni, Nangandu Nhandu, Richard Banda and Sherrine Kanyimbi.

It was made possible with financial support from the Diakonia Zambia Country Office and Joint Country Programme of Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Danish Church Aid (DCA) and Christian Aid (CA), Caritas Norway, Canadian Development and Peace through Caritas Zambia, Publish What You Pay (PWYP), Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection (JCTR), Youth Alliance for Development (YAD), Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP), Extractive Industry Transparency Alliance (EITA) and Caritas Solwezi who also provided logistical support.

The authors remain solely responsible for the content of this report and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the organizations they work for.

CLICK here to see the entire report, and for correspondence, please contact:

1. Felix Ngosa,

Joint Country Programme (NCA, DCA, CA),

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Phone: +260 977 426663

2. Edward Nkula Goma

Diakonia Zambia

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: +260 977 758700

3. Edmond Kangamungazi

Caritas Zambia

Box 31965

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: +260 965 830365

We, delegates from the Church, Civil Society, Mining Host Communities and Government gathered from the 20 to 22 June, 2017 at Cresta Golf View Hotel in Lusaka for the 6th Zambia Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI), under the theme ‘Mineral Development for all, leaving no one behind’.

We appreciate the presence of senior Government officials, Members of Parliament, the Diplomatic Corps, the media and mining company representatives who joined us during the three days of deliberations. We also welcome the continuous Government interaction with different stakeholders on national issues, including the mining sector which remains the backbone of the Zambian economy. We, however, present this communique of recommendations on how we believe Zambia can better harness the full benefits of its vast mineral sector for inclusive growth and socio-economic development.

PREAMBLE

The main goal of the Indaba was to create a platform for Communities, the Church, Government, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Mining Companies to effectively deliberate on real life experiences of the costs and benefits of extractive industries and how best we all can contribute to the sustainable development of the country. The ZAMI also provided a forum to discuss solutions to the challenges faced by the communities affected by mining.

Having had fruitful and vibrant deliberations from which we make the recommendations below.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Illegal Trade and Exploration

While noting that the Government is working to address illegal trade and exploitation of minerals, through projects such as the Mineral Value Chain Monitoring Project, we note with concern that there is still a lot of illegal trade of minerals resulting in significant losses of revenue to the country. We further note that this illegal trade is exacerbated by the bureaucratic processes that hinder the speedy granting of artisanal mining to indigenous communities. As such:

1. The Government should expedite the legalisation of “illegal” mining activities led by local communities as this has the potential to create employment for community members and generate additional income through taxation for the national treasury.

2. We appeal to Government to institutionalise CSOs and mining host communities’ role in the development of the Mineral Output Statistical System (MOSES) that is meant to monitor the movement of minerals within and out of Zambia.

3. We further recommend that Government redefine the provisions of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2015 so as to encompass the current “illegal” exploitation and trading of minerals.

Mineral Revenue Sharing Mechanism (MRSM)

The ZAMI recognises that unlike the Mines and Minerals Act of 2008, the Act of 2015 does not support the MRSM which provided that the communities retain a certain percentage of mineral revenues. As such:

1. We ask Government to amend the 2015 Mines and Minerals Development Act and supporting legislation to provide for a MRSM.

2. Government should in consultation with mine host communities and civil society develop the guidelines for the MRSM and further develop a strategy to implement the mechanism.

3. We appeal to the local Government to play its role of providing service delivery to local communities they serve, unlike relying on Corporate Social Responsibility from mining companies.

4. We demand the Freedom of Information Bill be passed into Law so as to enable citizens’ access information including how revenues are being utilized at the community level.

Land and Compensation - Challenges, Policy and Practice

We are dismayed at the status quo regarding the human rights violation by mining companies and the inaction of Government on the meagre compensation to the communities. We are also concerned with the slow pace of Government’s development of the Land Policy which has exacerbated land ownership disputes. As such:

1. Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) should be embraced in our policies and laws to enable communities affected by mining to meaningfully participate in land and compensation decision making processes.

2. We recommend that compensation takes into consideration non-market values, such as social, cultural, religious, spiritual and environmental values when communities are being relocated.

3. We recommend that Government raise its shares in mining operations and allocate a fraction of these shares to local communities. This should be channelled towards a community trust fund to provide sustainable and alternative sources livelihood for these communities.

4. We encourage enhanced coordination among the various line ministries to harmonise their efforts in land administration and compensations.

Uranium Extraction – Choices and Consequences

Although there is little information on uranium extraction, Zambia has deposits of uranium, and there are some mining companies extracting the mineral which could potentially pose issues of concern for public health and safety. As such:

1. We demand that Government halts all uranium mining and stockpiling until they have strengthened the legislative framework on the handling of uranium, which should be informed by a technical study involving communities, CSOs and other interested stakeholders to ascertain the current situation.

2. We demand that Government facilitate a community consultative meeting with mining companies extracting, CSO’s, Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and Zambia Development Agency to raise awareness to local community members on uranium and how it is handled.

3. For the sake of transparency and accountability, we demand that communities should be part of the process of hiring experts who will monitor and measure levels of radiation from uranium from the mine. We further demand that all findings of the Radiation Authority and ZEMA must be made public.

African Mining Vision (AMV) – Domestication and Implementation

We are encouraged that the Government is in the process of setting up an AMV Secretariat to domesticate the AMV in the country. However, we are concerned that there has been minimal policy and legislation reforms in line with the African Mining Vision (AMV) since it was adopted in February 2009 by African countries, including Zambia.

This is evidenced by the fact that the 7th National Development Plan, the Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2015 and the Minerals Development Policy of 2013 do not reference the AMV. The AMV is the overarching continental framework to promote a “transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development”. As the strongest expression of Africa’s aspiration to shift from “norm-taker” to “norm-setter” for its mining sector, the AMV represents a paradigm shift away from commodity export dependency towards improving Africa’s industrial base through enhanced local beneficiation and value addition of minerals. We the participants:

1. Call for a speedy alignment of Zambia’s policies and legislation with the provisions of the AMV, which should be informed by a transparent timeline.

2. Commend Government for initiating a new process towards the development of a Zambia Country Mining Vision (CMV) in line with the AMV. However, urge government to open this process up to engage all key stakeholders in the mining sector, including communities affected by mining, CSOs and the private sector to ensure the development of a truly inclusive, credible and comprehensive Vision with clear timelines.

3. We also recommend that Government puts in place, as a matter of urgency, a clear set of policies and laws on “thin capitalisation” and on “ring fencing” to address the erosion of the revenue base of the country and curb the growing scale of Illicit Financial Flows from Zambia’s vast extractive industry to enable the country mobilise adequate domestic revenue to improve the quality of life for all citizens.

4. In addition, we urge Government to embark on a comprehensive review of the over 22 Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Double Tax Agreements (DTAs), which have been found to undermine Zambia’s ability to mobilise domestic revenue because of the inherent weaknesses of these agreements. Government is also asked to approach the signing of new BITS and DTAs cautiously and with a clearer strategy to maximise benefits to the nation.

Transparency and Accountability through the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI)

While appreciating that Zambia is EITI compliant and has produced eight EITI reconciliation reports which detail the payments by the mining companies and receipts by the Governments, we are displeased that the increasing levels of transparency in the extractives sector has not amounted to the desired level of accountability of the usage of these resources. As such:

1. Government should enact the EITI bill backed by a policy that clearly spells out how transparency from the reports will amount into the much needed accountability

2. We ask Government to strengthen the Transfer Pricing Unit of the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to enable ZRA to effectively and efficiently curb the outflow of financial resources from the country perpetrated through aggressive tax planning practices by some mining companies in Zambia

3. In order to enhance local council’s collection of revenues from mining companies, we demand a review of the Property and Levy/Valuation Acts as they limit local councils’ capacity to mobilise revenue

CONCLUSION

We, the delegates, remain committed to continue monitoring the implementation of these recommendations. We further commit ourselves to continued dialogue and engagement with the Government and other key stakeholders to realise the potential of the extractive sector in the country.

A VERSION OF THIS COMMUNIQUE WAS RECEIVED AND SIGNED BY THE MINISTER OF MINES AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT, HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER YALUMA ON 22 JUNE, 2017 AT THE NEW GOVERNMENT COMPLEX IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA.

"The Truth will Set You Free" (John 8:32)

1. We the leaders of the three Church Mother Bodies namely: the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) are saddened at the continued state of political tension in the country and the blatant lack of political will by our leaders to address the root causes of what is obtaining. As Church leaders who have a God-given mandate of exercising the prophetic mission in our nation and in our time, we cannot afford to simply stand aside and look. Our country today stands at the crossroads and we are in a crisis. We face many challenges related to governance; the muzzling of people’s freedoms and human rights violations. As Zambians, we all need to examine our conscience, seek the truth and work towards bringing back hope to our people.

A KEYNOTE SPEECH FOR THE FIRST PROVINCIAL MINING INDABA PRESENTED BY THE VICAR GENERAL, OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF SOLWEZI AT BISHOP POTANI LODGE ON WEDNESDAY 6TH JUNE, 2017

• THE HONORABLE PROVINCIAL MINISTER
• YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESSES PRESENT
• ALL DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND INVITED GUESTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT, OUR COOPERATING PARTNERS AND CONSTITUENT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
• THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS PRESENT
• ALLOW ME TO SIMPLY SAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST

I’M GREATLY HONOURED TO HAVE BEEN ASKED TO ADDRESS THIS SPECIAL CONVOCATION OF THE FIRST PROVINCIAL ALTERNATIVE MINING INDABA WITH THE THEME

2016 was an eventful year for Zambia. During this period, the socio-economic and political context significantly changed. Politics continued negatively affecting governance, respect of human rights and rule of law and media freedoms. As a result, livelihoods of the poor have become difficult. Prices of goods and services continued to significantly rise.