ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: POLITICS VERSUS SCIENCE VERSUS DEVELOPMENT
By Sean Tembo – PeP President
1. Over the past 10 years or so, l’ve listened with particular attention to the arguments put forward by President Hakainde Hichilema regarding environmental management in Zambia, firstly as an opposition leader and now as a Republican President. The first time l heard HH’s arguments on the environment was when he was against the construction of grain silos along Cairo road by National Milling Limited, a couple of years ago. He argued that it would cause congestion as trucks would need to turn in and out of the premises and also that it would bring noise pollution to an otherwise serene part of the city. The promoters of the project argued that the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) had undertaken an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and that they had outlined a number of mitigating measures to be implemented and that they, the promoters had actually put in place those mitigating measures and so there was nothing to worry about. However HH and his clique of myopic civil society activists were still adamant and stuck to their arguments against the project. Suffice to mention that the project went ahead and we have not witnessed any traffic congestion nor noise pollution in Cairo road as a result of those grain silos that were elected by National Milling Limited. Which means that the mitigating measures proposed by ZEMA and implemented by the project promoters were indeed effective. What lessons can one draw from this particular incident? Well, l don’t know about others, but for me the lesson l draw is that development can go hand in hand with good environmental management practices. They do not need to be mutually exclusive activities.
2. Subsequent to the Cairo Road grain silos project, there was a shopping mall that was proposed for construction behind St. Mary’s school in Woodlands. Again, HH and his clique of myopic civil society activists made all sorts of arguments against the proposed construction of that shopping mall. They argued that the mall would distract the pupils at St. Mary’s School as they would dodge class to go and play at the mall and perhaps even drink alcohol at the mall, and that there would be noise pollution to the school. The promoters of the project argued that ZEMA had proposed a number of mitigating measures to the various potential adverse impacts to the environment, and that all the mitigation measures would be implemented. When the environmental arguments dissipated, HH and his clique of myopic civil society activists further argued that there were too many Shopping Malls in the same area anyway and that these shopping malls don’t even provide good jobs to Zambians, only low paying jobs as cashiers, cleaners and security guards. But if the promoters of the project do their financial modelling and they believe that they can let out all their space and make a return on their investment, then who are you to argue otherwise? Even if they don’t manage to let out all their space because the area has too many shopping malls, how does that affect you? On the issue of jobs, my view is that every single job created is important no matter the type. For you who lives a bourgeoisie lifestyle, you may think that a job as a cashier is slavery, but for someone who has been rotting at home since finishing grade 12, a job as a cashier at a shopping mall is a dream come true. No need to belittle the progress of others. Anyway, suffice to mention the shopping mall project went ahead and none of the fears orchestrated by HH and his clique of myopic civil society activists ever materialized. Environmental or otherwise. Again this is evidence that economic development and good environmental management practices can coexist side by side. They do not need to be mutually exclusive.
3. Subsequent to the Cairo road and woodlands projects, there came the proposed development of a copper mine in Luangwa district, approximately 40 kilometers away from the Zambezi river. Again, HH and his clique of myopic civil society activists cried blue murder. They argued that the mine would pollute the lower Zambezi basin, despite the facts presented by the promoters of the project that the mine would actually be located about 40 kilometers from the basin and that they would implement all the necessary mitigating measures proposed by ZEMA. This time however, the promoters of the project decided to give up and HH and his clique of myopic civil society activists carried the day. I for one had argued for the project to go ahead so that it can create employment for the local people and add to the country’s tax basket. I had argued that most of our copper mines are old and near the end of their useful economic life. In 2019 alone, Mopani shut down its Mindolo North shaft and Mindolo Central shaft because they were no longer economically viable. This lead to the loss of more than 2,000 jobs. So if we are going to remain a top copper producer, there is need to open new mines as old ones are shutting down. I further argued that provided appropriate mitigating measures are put in place, mining can take place pretty much anywhere. Take for instance in the United States where oil drilling takes place off the coast of Florida, side by side with fishing.
4. Fast forward to this day. We have the issue of forest 27 and the developments that have so far taken place there, including our former Vice President madam Inonge Wina who has built a retirement house there. It is common cause that forest 27 was de-gazetted by the PF administration prior to the developments that took place there. It is also common cause that ZEMA undertook an EIA at forest 27 prior to the de-gazetting. In its EIA, ZEMA proposed a number of mitigating measures that needed to be implemented by the property developers so as to maintain the area as a water recharge point. I will not dwell on whether the mitigating measures proposed by ZEMA were adequate or not, because am not an environmental expert. Am just an ordinary Chartered Accountant. I do not want to behave like Garry Nkombo who is a primary school teacher and yet wants to portray himself as an environmental expert on the issue of forest 27. It also does not matter what other peripheral environmental experts have to say about the forest 27 issue. In Zambia we only have one official environmental body that has a final say on all environmental matters. That is the Zambia Environmental Management Agency or ZEMA in short. In the eyes of the law, only ZEMA’s position matters and not that of a primary school teacher and wanna be environmental expert. Equally the opinion of a bourgeoisie President who feels that his neighborhood will be diluted by the presence of his former political opponents, does not matter. And neither does the opinion of his clique of myopic civil society activists. The only opinion that matters is that of ZEMA. It is also on record that ZEMA has not at any time withdrawn it’s EIA and approval of the forest 27 developments. If the developers at forest 27 have not fully complied with the mitigating measures proposed by ZEMA in its EIA, then ZEMA needs to bring this fact to the attention of the developers so that they can rectify the non-compliance within reasonable time. Suffice to mention that non of this has actually been done.
5. Therefore, the announcement by the Minister of Local Government, Garry Nkombo that the New Dawn administration will go ahead and demolish the developments at forest 27 is premature and lacks any backing at law. The only thing which HH and his primary school teacher are trying to do is to flex their muscles and show their political rivals that they are now in charge. And that the former PF regime should now feel their weight since they’re the new boys in town. I for one have always been against politics of retribution. We have a country to develop and that should be our number one priority and not settling petty personal scores. If the New Dawn administration is going to succeed to develop this country, they need the goodwill and support of each and every citizen including those in the former PF regime. Therefore there is no need of expending energy on vengeance and antagonizing one another at the expense of national development. When politicians harbor malice in their hearts, it is the common Zambian that suffers. HH, his primary school teacher minister and their clique of myopic civil society activists have no basis in law to demolish the developments at forest 27, for as long as ZEMA is okay with it. If the primary-school-teacher minister has too much energy, let him spend it by providing utilities to the many unplanned settlements across the country where boreholes are next to pit latrines and citizens are getting fat even if they do not eat well, simply because they drink their own faecal matter.
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SET 21.12.2021