Community representatives from various communities in North Western province aired their challenges during the North Western second mining indaba.

Deborah Chewe/New Generation FM/solwezi /Northwestern Province /9th May 2018

Among the challenges that where spotted out in their areas include no proper clinic in manyama community which is lumwana mining area,over population in Mushitala community near Kansanshi mine in solwezi district,water challenges in kabwela community which is just a few metres away from kansanshi mine in solwezi and displacement of people in chafukuma community.

The community members appealed to government and the mines to address the water challenges,construct a proper clinic in Lumwana which can cater for community members,appealed to the local authorities to approve plot documents.

Meanwhile lumwana mining sustainability manager Christopher Mukala said the mine will always insure to improve the living standards of people who have settled in the mine area..

Mr Mukala noted that Lumwana mine has put in place programs to empower women and support small scale enterprises.

He said the mine has drilled about 52 boreholes to provide water services in the community since it’s existence in 2009.

But lumwana mine corporate social responsibility manager Bruce Lewis said community members do not and will never appreciate what the mine has been doing for them yet they just focus on the negative side.

The question is how much more can the mines offer to the community when they are busy making huge sums of money and community members are benefiting less.