Solwezi Mushindamo road in a bad state

Deborah Chewe/05.04.17/New Generation FM radio

Solwezi Mushindamo which leads to the Kipushi boarder in the North Western Part of Zambia has been in a bad state since First quantum minerals raided the road.

This is the road which has been helping communities in Solwezi to link their businesses to the neighbouring country DR Congo.

As a result of mining activities in the area most business people are failing to access the road because of the heavy trucks that pass through the road damaging it and making it impassable for other road users.

This situation never used to happen in the past before mining.

Shikamo Eliack/YAD/Solwezi District/North western/Zambia
Mining a Blessing or Curse for the people of musele.
The people of Musele sanctioned mining with high hope of development. This both household and community development. Alas since the coming in of Kalumbila mine. The highly anticipated opportunity turns out to be a curse. The mining has been able to finance the improvement of the road from Lumwana to the mine of kalumbila. Unfortunately the stretch that connects to chief musele and mwinilunga is in deplorable state such that the a distance one can take 10 minutes drive can take someone 1 hours. This raises questions from local people whether the mine opportunity has been a blessing or a curse. The life of copper is more valuable than the people who live in the nearby villages of musele these are the people who once lived in the land that inhabits the copper and nickel that the corporate values high.
As seen in the above photos the tarred road in good state upto kalumbila mine. While the stretch that looks gravel is from kalumbila turn off to chief musele and mwinilunga. This stretch is has been damaged by the big buses and trucks that pick and drop the work force for the mine.

We hope one day the mine can come to terms with reality that the the community deserves better than the bone they give them.