I found something interesting in IVerify - No, large scale mining has not started at the open pit mining Kangaluwi Project in Lower Zambezi

No, large scale mining has not started at the open pit mining Kangaluwi Project in Lower Zambezi

False

According to the Mwembeshi Resource Limited Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr. Oliver Shalala , the road said to be under construction has been in existence since 1940. At the moment, large scale mining cannot be conducted due to unavailability of power, mining equipment, as well as an MOU between the mine , ZAWA and ZEMA.

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Verified Feb, 22 2023

Claim

The Patriotic Front (PF) Facebook page, on January 21, 2023, posted an image with a statement alleging that the Zambian Government had approved the proposal for an open pit copper mine, the Kangaluwi mine Project, in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park. The claim further stated that the mining company had since started felling trees and constructing a road into the national park.

Rating Justification

iVerify Zambia has determined as false the claims by the Patriotic Front (PF) Facebook page that the Zambian government had approved the proposal for an open pit copper mine called Kangaluwi project in the Lower Zambezi National Park and that construction of a road into the national park had started.

Through a telephone interview with Mwembeshi Resources Limited Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr. Oliver Shalala, iVerify Zambia has established that despite being issued with a mining license, Mwembeshi Resources has not conducted any mining activities at the site since 2021 due to a court injunction on the project.

Mr. Shalala further stated that the injunction aside, no large-scale mining could take place at the proposed site due to the unavailability of power supply, mining equipment and lack of memorandum of understanding between the mine company, Department of National Parks and Wildlife and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA).

He added that the road in question has been in existence since 1940 and was used to access the old Shakwenga Gold Mine during the colonial era.

Based on this clarification from Mwembeshi Resources Limited, iVerify Zambia finds the claims by the Patriotic Front Facebook page that the Zambian government has approved the proposal for an open pit copper mine in the Lower Zambezi National Park and that the company is constructing an access road into the park to be false.

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