OVERSEEING OPERATIONS
Kansanshi recognises the importance of such an element of business and aims to incorporate its activities into multiple facets of surrounding society to bolster the betterment of the business and those people associated.
“Our goal is to integrate sound environmental, safety and social management practices into all aspects of our business,” says Nsana. “The board has a dedicated Environment, Health Safety and CSR Committee which reviews adherence by First Quantum to its environment, health and safety policies and practices in accordance with applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. The committee also oversees First Quantum’s CSR strategy and extensive programmes, including its approach to human rights and engagement with host communities. The committee considers and recommends best practices in key areas covered by its charter.
“We are committed to continuous improvement through our environmental, safety and social management systems, which are subject to regular external audits. Each of our sites has a community social and economic development plan which is aligned with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. We seek to ensure that the positive economic impacts of mining are realised and to assist in improving the quality of life for those people and communities impacted by our activities.”
MARKING ACHIEVEMENT
The core company values revolving around both people and planet have helped Kansanshi become recognised as an operational leader in the mining industry under First Quantum. Because of this, the company has gained a multitude of awards and accolades that represent its position in the sector, and the progressive nature of its operation and drive moving forward into the future.
“Over the years, Kansanshi has received recognition of its efforts in corporate social investments and has received awards in various areas,” Nsana says. “These span everything from environmental promotion to community engagement and internal company programmes.
“A prime example of this is our Conservation Farming – Support to Community award, given to us by CSR Network Zambia, that stemmed from our Conservation Farming unit, one that supports community farmers while doing good for the environment. The unit is already implementing a plan to diversify from the usual crop farming to incorporate fruit tree orchards in the local communities. This is going to target the export and local markets to help individual farmers reach a wider market.”
Other awards include the Excellency in Environmental Stewardship – Game Management, Community Programmes – Water, Provision of Literacy Education – Infrastructure/Innovative Learning, Community Social Impact Award – Working with the Differently-Abled, Excellency in Literacy Support – Adult Literacy Support, and the Community Social Impact Award – Youth Development, each awarded by CSR Network Zambia.
“And in recognition of hard work, our many leadership programmes remind our staff that they can achieve anything that they set out to”McGerald Mvula, Supply Chain Manager, Kansanshi Mining Plc
BEYOND THE MINE
First Quantum (and by default, Kansanshi) recognises that people and communities are affected by the company’s business activities, and that it has a responsibility to ensure that those people and communities benefit through opportunities such as employment, business development, education, training or community investment over the long term.
“We also recognise that our activities consume resources and have impacts on the broader global environment, and that we have a responsibility to minimise and redress harmful impacts and to optimise positive benefits,” Nsana tells us. “We build sound safety, environmental, and social management practices into all aspects of our business. We strive for continuous improvement in our environmental, safety and social management performance.
“Our sustainable development strategy is built around four key pillars: economically viable investments, technically appropriate operations, environmentally sound practices, and socially responsible actions.”
Kansanshi aims to deliver this strategy by implementing sound corporate governance practices as well as environmental management systems (in line with an equivalent to ISO 14001:2015 standard) and health and safety management systems (based on an equivalent to the OHSAS/BSI 18001:2015 standard), improving community relations through better communications, and supporting sustainable community development programmes.
ADAPTATION IN THE INDUSTRY
However, this kind of collaborative community achievement has not been undertaken without its own challenges. For Kansanshi, the past two years have not only caused global obstacles and varying customer demand, but also prevented people-centric activities.
“Owing to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of opportunities to have face-to-face interactions with stakeholders have been disrupted,” continues Nsana. “Travel to project locations for monitoring activities and support has also been affected. This has interfered with developing and maintaining meaningful and effective relationships with business partners and other stakeholders.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has only reiterated how important the link between Kansanshi, its partners and its wider community is to the overall success and positive external influence of the business.
However, the pandemic has also helped push forward development in many spheres of the working world. For both businesses and employees, the past two years have prioritised digital communication and working, highlighted the importance of digital infrastructure, and driven everybody to become increasingly technologically adept.
“Doing community programmes in the face of COVID-19 has not been easy. There has been reduced face-to-face contact with stakeholders which is a key requisite to enhance relations between them and the mine,” Nsana elaborates. “However, some smart innovations have been put in place to ensure that programmes and services continue. The business training for micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), school lessons and other interactions had to be shifted onto local radio stations. These included our School on Radio Programme and our Small Business on Radio programme. These interventions proved to reach far more people than we anticipated, and we will continue with this after the pandemic.
“We have also found ways of using virtual meetings on various platforms, such as Zoom, Webex, Microsoft Teams and more, to work with stakeholders.
“With the availability of vaccines and increasing numbers of people getting vaccinated, face-to-face meetings are becoming possible again and will complement virtual meetings and activities very well. I have no doubt this will result in more effective collaboration and productivity. In light of this, the years ahead are promising.”
KEY PARTNERSHIPS
This adaptive tech adoption and the digital tools that come alongside it are key to maintaining relationships across the globe, particularly when it comes to the critical partnerships that keep Kansanshi moving forward.
In the realm of CSR, Kansanshi maintains multiple critical partnerships with various governing bodies, institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across Zambia and beyond to enhance the company’s positive impact on communities as well as to safeguard the environment.
“Partnerships of immediate concern to the CSR department are slightly different from the commercial partnerships that are entered into for financial reasons,” Nsana says. “The CSR department seeks partnerships based on the need to address issues of mutual concern such as improving livelihoods, providing social services and building capacity for social change.”
Grounded on this principle, Kansanshi has key partnerships in many groups across the region:
– The Municipal Council
The Municipal Council partnered with the company to improve the township roads by upgrading them to bituminous standards by providing a cost-effective service to the Municipal Council. According to Nsana, a lot of progress has been achieved in this area.
– The Agriculture Department
The company’s conservation unit has trained more than 40,000 local farmers and continues to give support to 7,000 of them.
“Women and youth farmers are receiving training and technical support to improve their productivity,” Nsana tells us. “The Conservation Farming for Nutrition programme is one of the key interventions that is currently being rolled out to local women. Technical support to all conservation farming activities through field visits by extension workers (field officers) is being supported by the mining company.”
– The Health Department
The company’s Health Promotion Team is encouraging Primary Health Care Provision in communities near the mine and supporting the government health services by providing support to procurement of health care equipment and materials.
The company helped to build and equip a number of health centres to provide primary health care.
The Regional Referral Hospital was rehabilitated (including the reconstruction of a whole new modern maternity wing) and some equipment was provided. Kansanshi has continued to provide weekly medical oxygen supplies during the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Zambia National Parks and Wildlife Authority
Kansanshi has partnered with the authority to start a wildlife ranch which has more than 16 species of wildlife that were introduced onto the mine lease. The animals are breeding and the numbers growing to the extent that some have been donated to the government park, West Lunga Game Reserve, whose animal population was unfortunately decimated to near extinction over the years.
– Zambia Road Transport Safety Agency
In collaboration with the agency, the CSR department runs road safety messages on local radio stations and carry out campaigns to sensitise communities and schools of safe behaviour on the roads.
“We have assisted in the publication of materials to distribute in schools as a way of teaching safe and responsible behaviour to young people,” Nsana explains. “Kansanshi carries out joint activities to commemorate international and national road safety events and helps with the road makings and road furniture rehabilitation.
“The agency forms and monitors the community safety links (volunteer first responders) with whom the community safety officer undertakes emergency response simulation drills and stands ready to respond to traffic accidents or incidents that happen on the roads in the local and surrounding areas.”
– NGOs and CSOs
Kansanshi has partnered with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) to campaign against early marriages and gender-based violence.
Kansanshi supports the activities of the YWCA by providing financial and technical support. To ensure that this support is self-sustaining, Kansanshi has set up the Nsanshi Art studio that makes jewellery from copper produced at the mine, for sale locally and further afield. The proceeds from this venture are donated to the YWCA. So far, roughly $10,000 has been remitted to the YWCA’s operations account from this venture alone.
The partnership with the Extractive Industries Transparency Alliance (EITA) facilitates monthly stakeholders’ information sharing forums. During these meetings, stakeholders have an opportunity to bring any suggestions and concerns that they have for discussion and, where required, seek clarification.
Community and Leadership
Traditional Leadership plays a very important role in the general operations of the mine. Kansanshi engages the community leadership on matters of mutual interest and assists to maintain the much-needed social license to operate.
The company supports traditional values through participating in traditional ceremonies and works with traditional leadership to create awareness of pertinent issues such as early childhood education, nutrition, environmental stewardship, and social vices such as gender violence and early marriages.
In addition, Kansanshi utilises the counsel of the Council of Elders to inform its engagement with such leadership and traditional bodies such as royal establishments.
North-western Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Through the chamber, many local enterprises have received training in business undertaking. A key member of the chamber offers training to small enterprises through the funding from Kansanshi.
“Everything from hiring and training skilled local staff to educating the community on safety and environmental practices helps bolster a better mining industry in Zambia”Victor Nsana, CSR Manager, Kansanshi Mining Plc
