"Bad Research is Destablising Community Trust, says Mine"

Poorly researched, one-sided reports by activists are undermining the relationships between mining companies and their host communities, says First Quantum Minerals (FQM).
A recent flurry of pamphlets by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) appears to be calculated to destabilise the trust built up with local people, says the company, which operates the Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi and Sentinel Mine at Kalumbila. “It is entirely right and proper that mines are open to scrutiny and held accountable for their actions, and indeed First Quantum goes to great lengths to ensure it is transparent in its corporate operations and sustainability programmes,” said FQM country manager General Kingsley Chinkuli. “What is more concerning are NGOs – often backed by foreign donors and with little understanding of the issues – that make spurious claims without robust evidence-based research or sound methodologies.”...

One recent example involved a foreign-funded report containing a litany of factual errors and unsubstantiated claims about the Kansanshi Mine, with the sweeping statement: “There is clear resistance from the company to invest in sustainable CSR”. In fact, in addition to the US$3.3 billion paid by the mine in taxes, employment of 5,140 direct staff and a similar number of indirect workers, Kansanshi Mining Plc has spent US$30 million on direct community support through the Kansanshi Foundation since 2005. US$4.79 million was spent in 2018 alone