Copper mining in Zambia: The developmental legacy of privatisation

This paper discusses the impact of copper mining on communities in Zambia and the explores the competition for control and access to mineral wealth

This paper discusses the impact of copper mining on local communities in Zambia and the explores the competition for control and access to mineral wealth in the country. The paper begins by providing a background to mining in Zambia up to 2000. It then reviews the ‘resource curse’ theory in relation to Zambia and critically assesses the performance of the copper mining industry after privatisation. It was commissioned by the Institute for Security Studies’ Corruption and Governance Programme as part of ongoing work into natural resource exploitation in Africa. For further information on this work, visit the programme’s website: www.ipocafrica.org.

Author

Dr Neo Simutanyi currently lives and works in Lusaka, Zambia as a private consultant.