LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – First Quantum Minerals has been recognised for it leading role in improving access to clean and safe drinking water in communities surrounding its mining operations in North-Western Province.
The company scooped four awards at CSR Network Zambia’s 2020 Zambia CSR and Responsible Business Awards on Friday (December 4). The award for provision of clean and safe drinking water in communities recognised the monitoring of quality of water and the sharing of results with the communities.
The company also received awards for conversion of 7,000 subsistence farmers to emerging commercial farmers and the provision of technical support and training for more than 50,000 farmers; for its School on Radio initiative; and for the protection and conservation of wildlife.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Industrial Development Corporation Group Chief Executive Officer Mateyo Kaluba said the CSR Network Zambia was a good platform to enrich the CSR dialogue, encourage sharing of best practices and ignite collaboration among members.
In a speech read on his behalf by Chief Portfolio Officer Henry Sakala, he said that if businesses embrace social responsibility more closely, they will collectively build a better future.
“If we empower our communities and uplift people’s livelihoods, that will have ripple effects both to our businesses and to our people. If our businesses grow, our communities benefit and that will lead to economic development. This resonates with the government’s thrust of achieving vision 2030 of attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
First Quantum has undertaken an on-going programme of borehole upgrades to help communities surrounding its Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi and Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila to address the challenge of access to clean and safe drinking water.
Its work, which includes technical investigation to locate deep water borehole sites, has been widely commended by government, traditional leaders and local people.
In 2017, the mining firm spent some US$60,000 to repair 57 community boreholes across the Musele Chiefdom in Kalumbila. Repairing the boreholes was identified as a need during an annual community needs assessment, followed up by a mechanical survey of all the boreholes in the area.
“The mining budgeted to invest in an initiative to upgrade community water systems in Kalumbila and Solwezi Districts in work being coordinated in consultation with the local traditional leadership, a development taskforce and sub-committees specifically set up to recommend improvements to water access,” said FQM’s Trident Foundation community affairs manager Joseph Ngwira.
Mr Ngwira further said that the mine also works in close collaboration with the Department of Water Resources Development to undertake annual water quality monitoring of 178 boreholes in the local area, and the results are disclosed to the community.
The programme aims to complement government efforts to increase access to clean and safe drinking water in communities in Kalumbila district.
The mining firm believes access to safe, clean water is the number one priority for community development. Water is a basic human need, and should always be prioritised over other forms of development work. Despite current economic challenges, the company has prioritised its budget to focus on this basic need.
Naturally occurring iron in the geological structure of the area has been a visible challenge in water in Musele community boreholes for over two decades, long before mining activities commenced in the area. This is a well-known challenge in areas with similar soils in Zambia, in particular, large parts of North-Western and Northern provinces. Scientific analysis of the water confirmed the naturally occurring iron, which causes water discolouration and a metallic taste. The iron occurs in most of the local soils and is not a result of mining activities. This is backed up by the extensive long-term groundwater monitored programmes initiated by the company before operations began, said the mine.
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