THE SCHOOL OF HUMAN AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

MODULE CODE: DST 3543

DST 3543 GROUP PRESENTATION

Privatization in Copper Belt region, Zambia did not contribute positively in the
livelihood outcomes. Debate using the livelihood framework by DFID (before
you start arguing indicate whether you agree or disagree)

Group Members
Group Leader: Mashamba FP 18005129

1. Mashamba FP 18005129 3. Phaswana N 18008015

2. Mobe KG 18003853 4. Ntsieni ET 18005934

5. Ndou L 18000280

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Content Page

1. INTRODUCTION 3

2. BODY 3

2.1. THE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS FRAMEWORK (SLF) 3

2.2. LIVELIHOOD ASSETS 4

2.3. LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES 6

2.4. LIVELIHOOD OUTCOMES 6

3. CONCLUSION 7

4. REFERENCES 8

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INTRODUCTION

“We agree.’’

The definition used by Department of Foreign and International Development (DFID) stated
that, a livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material and social
resources) and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can
cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and
assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base. (Chambers,
R and G. Conway, 1992). In our presentation we are going to debate using the livelihood
framework by DFID, on whether the privatization in Copper Belt region, Zambia contributed
positively in the livelihood outcomes or not. So, as it is stated on the statement that
“privatization in Copper Belt region, Zambia did not contribute positively in the livelihood
outcomes”, in our presentation we are agreeing with the statement.

THE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS FRAMEWORK (SLF)

VULNERABILITITY CONTEXT

The Vulnerability Context forms the external environment in which people exist and gain
importance through direct impacts upon people’s asset status (Devereux, 2001). It comprises:

*Shocks:

Illness, disaster, economic, conflict, crop/ livestock pests and diseases, floods, drought, death
in the family, etc. Due to the privatization as privatised companies have been involved in
serious incidents of environmental mismanagement that have compromised the health of local
people, excess sulphur dioxide emissions from smelting created human respiratory diseases as
well as acid rain that damages rivers and trees. Local communities faced problems in securing
a livelihood. As only crops that survived were mangos, avocados and cactus. People from the
local community they ended up not being able to grow their own vegetables.

Silting of local rivers, killing off plant-life and fish stocks was a problem at Luanshya Mining,
and around KCM’s plant where siltation of rivers and streams around Chingola town were so
severe to threaten flooding that could wash away bridges on the only roads linking
Chililabombwe to the rest of the country.

*Trends and changes:

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Long term trends that undermine livelihood potential: pollution, declining natural resource
base, climate change, inflation, currency devaluation, structural unemployment, poor
governance, environmental change, technology, markets and trade, globalization. Heavy metal
effluents being discharged into rivers that supply drinking water were a serious risk to human
health. Where poor communities have no access to piped water, they drew their drinking and
washing water directly from rivers. They were also using polluted water to water crops, in
which the toxicity of chemical pollutants was concentrated. Due the privatized companies
involved in emissions of chemicals, this led to heavy rains and a changing climate. People of
local community ended up losing their jobs as mines were being closed. Food became not easily
affordable due to the increase in prices as the demand was high than supply due to lack of food
produced as the local were unable to grow their own vegetables.

*Seasonality:

Rainfall, climate, prices, production, health, employment. Due the privatized companies
involved in emissions of chemicals, this led to heavy rains and a changing climate. s
employment, wages and pensions dropped relative to the cost of living, urban workers had less
to offer, and were more inclined to try and find ways to avoid extended networks in rural areas,
and to stay in the cities after their working life ended. With their low salaries they ended up not
able to buy enough food. Most families in Zambia were dependent on one cash income,
typically the father. If that individual dies or is laid off by the employer, it changes the whole
family structure and it affected the education of their chidren

LIVELIHOOD ASSETS

Human Capital

In Sustainable livelihood framework (SLF), human capital represents the skills, knowledge,
ability to labour and good health that together enable people to pursue different livelihood
strategies and achieve their livelihood objectives (DFID, 2000). In Zambia, when you are poor
you are poor. There is no support from the Government, there are no social benefit so it affected
the education of the children, and this led to limited skills to people as they are mostly
uneducated.

Social Capital

In the context of the SLA it is taken to mean the social resources upon which people draw in
seeking for their livelihood outcomes, such as networks and connectedness, that increase

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people's trust and ability to cooperate or membership in more formalised groups and their
systems of rules, norms and sanctions. In the Copper belt the relationship between urban and
rural areas and between formal and informal employment is complex and evolving. Where
families have typically been housed in company compounds, they do not have easy access to
farm land. Miners originally arrived to work in the mines from a rural area and, refusing to
accept that the African population could exist in modern, urban conditions, colonial authorities
and mining houses insisted they ‘returned’ to these areas upon retirement or retrenchment, and
for a period of ‘rest’ each year.

Natural Capital

Natural resource stocks from which resource flows and services (such as land, water, forests,
air quality, erosion protection, biodiversity degree and rate of change, etc.) useful for
livelihoods are derived. It is of special importance for those who derive all or part of their
livelihoods from natural resource-based activities, as it is often the case for the poor
stakeholders, but also in more general terms, since a good air and water quality represents a
basis for good health and other aspects of a livelihood. Families have typically been housed in
company compounds, they did not have easy access to farm land. Meaning they were landless
and not having access to common property resources.

Physical Capital

The basic infrastructure and producer goods needed to support livelihoods, such as affordable
transport, secure shelter and buildings, adequate water supply and sanitation, clean, affordable
energy and access to information. Its influence on the sustainability of a livelihood system is
best fit for representation through the notion of opportunity costs or 'trade-offs', as a poor
infrastructure can preclude education, access to health services and income generation. As
more and more people became settled in the longer term in the cities, these relationships
became more difficult to manage and urban dwellers became both more nervous of and more
disdainful of rural life. Having poor water supply as poor communities were not having access
to piped water, they drew their drinking and washing water directly from rivers. They were
also using polluted water to water crops, in which the toxicity of chemical pollutants was
concentrated. The problem also creates increased costs for the water supply and sanitation
companies that provide to more formal settlements.

Financial Capital

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Denotes the financial resources that people use to achieve their livelihood objectives and it
comprises the important availability of cash or equivalent that enables people to adopt different
livelihood strategies. Two main sources of financial capital can be identified: Available stocks
comprising cash, bank deposits or liquid assets such as livestock and jewellery, not having
liabilities attached and usually independent on third parties. Regular inflows of money
comprising labour income, pensions, or other transfers from the state, and remittances, which
are mostly dependent on others and need to be reliable. As employment, wages and pensions
dropped relative to the cost of living, urban workers had less to offer, and were more inclined
to try and find ways to avoid extended networks in rural areas, and to stay in the cities after
their working life ended. They were forced to spend huge amounts on treatment in order to
provide clear, palatable water.

LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES

KCM recognise that they have problem in the Copperbelt region, and have undertaken to
reduce emissions by 80% by installing technology which captures sulphur dioxide and convert
it into sulphuric acid which company uses in the mineral processing. MCM have also
committed to developing acid plants at both of their smelters

The companies at Copperbelt are forced to spent huge amount on the treatment in order to
provide clear, palatable water. Since Copperbelt resident now face being cut off if they don’t
pay higher charges to water companies. Where the companies in question are supported by
state subsidies, the government is also paying to clear up after companies.

LIVELIHOOD OUTCOMES

Livelihood outcomes are the achievements of livelihood strategies, such as more income,
increased well-being, reduced vulnerability, improved food security and more sustainable use
of natural resources. there has been a negative impact on social welfare, particularly, on the
poor as a result of privatisation. Moreover, privatisation has led to massive job losses and this
increase has contributed to the already existing high levels of unemployment in the country
and its consequences of social problems such as crime, HIV / AIDS etc. Privatization also
impacted more negatively towards the environmental state of change, as the emissions that the
privatised companies involved in were damaging the environment. The serious incidents of
environmental mismanagement had compromised the health of local people. Excess sulphur
dioxide emissions from smelting created human respiratory diseases as well as acid rain that
damaged rivers and trees. Heavy metals effluents being discharged into rivers. Silting of local

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rivers, killing off plant-life and fish stocks was a problem at Luanshya Mining, and around
KCM’s plant where siltation of rivers and streams around Chingola town were so severe to
threaten flooding that could wash away bridges on the only roads linking Chililabombwe to the
rest of the country. Human lives were in danger due to water pollution as they were using water
from rivers. Chemicals spilled into the river caused lung and heart problems, respiratory
diseases and liver and kidney damage. Some people suffered from diarrhoea, eye infections
and skin irritations.

CONCLUSION

In our presentation we have agreed to the statement that privatization in copper belt region,
Zambia did not contribute positively in the livelihood outcomes, as we have looked on the
impacts caused by the privatization they mostly impacted negatively in the livelihood.
Sustainable livelihood framework by the DFID its aim is to eliminate poverty from people, but
here in the copper belt region, Zambia, the community remained in poverty due to massive job
losses and people’s health were affected by lot of emissions caused by privatised companies.

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REFERENCES

CHAMBERS, Robert and CONWAY, Gordon R. (1992): Sustainable Rural Livelihoods:

DFID (2000): Sustainable Livelihoods Guidance Sheets. Department for International

DEVEREUX, Stephen (2001): Livelihood Insecurity and Social Protection: A Re-emerging

(https://sarpn.org)