By Chileshe Mwango
Former Minister of Environment William Harrington says the halting of works in the lower Zambezi national park by Mwembeshi resources limited falls short of stakeholder expectations’, who had wanted the license to be cancelled.
The Zambia Environmental Management Agency -ZEMA- has ordered Mwembeshi resources limited, the company which was given a license to carry out copper mining in the lower Zambezi national park to cease all works in the park due to non-compliance to conditions in the decision letter.
Mr. Harrington tells Phoenix News that what has happened is only halting the current operations which will be allowed to continue later after ZEMA conditions have been complied with.
He says it would have been more meaningful if government was more decisive on the matter and cancelled the license rather than halting works.
Mr. Harrington notes that even if the restoration plan takes over 10 years, operations can resume thereafter as long as the mining license remains valid and not withdrawn or cancelled.
PHOENIX NEWS