People in Zambia’s Copper Belt live in deplorable conditions even though the area is rich in deposits of gold and copper.

Religious leaders have expressed concern at the deterioration of social utilities and amenities, but the government has stayed silent. So a new programme launched by the Council of Churches of Zambia couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Council of Churches of Zambia (CCZ) aims to empower Zambians from grassroots-level up with knowledge that can enable them to engage the government in dialogue and ensure that natural resources are used to boost the economy and people’s social status.

The move is seen as a positive service for the next generation. Zambians in the copper-rich areas are now upbeat and looking to the Church and other religious bodies to stand up and help them articulate their concerns. Not only are the country’s poverty-levels escalating, but there is a great knowledge deficit as well. People are uninformed about policies regulating the distribution of profits from Zambia’s ore-rich fields.

Local communities are angered by what they regard as a lack of consultation by the government. One community leader said, “They come to our villages, take land without consulting with us or considering our livelihoods. The decisions are made by the elite and ours is to obey. Even when it means that we leave our homes and heritage”.

Members of the CCZ are also raising their voices on the need for an audit of the gold being extracted from these communities, which are worried that wealth continues to be siphoned from them while their own standard of living shows no improvement.

Concerns have been raised, moreover, about inadequate government policies that seem to give unhindered leeway to investors at the expense of local communities.

Government rhetoric has emphasised the need for new investment, but local religious leaders are asking, “New investment for whose benefit?”