Mining in the wild not on, China

It may seem that the Zimbabwe government’s decision to allow Chinese mining companies to do test drilling operations in the wilderness of the country’s Hwange National Park is somebody else’s problem. And that is true – to a certain extent.

We do have plenty of our own issues to deal with in South Africa at present, when mere economic survival from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 lockdown is our only priority. Yet, we should not ignore the Zimbabwean decision on conservation grounds and, more importantly, for its geopolitical implications.

If one of the last great wild areas of Africa can be thrown open to what is a possible “rape” by mining companies, how safe is any place? If a sanctuary which attracts tens of thousands of tourists a year can be treated as a treasure house for foreign exploiters, how safe are the precious heritage species of Africa?

Exploitation of a place like Hwange means that not only are its rhinos and elephants endangered – they are already under severe attack by poachers – but also that other species will struggle to survive if their habitat is destroyed.

There are those who would argue that natural resources, such as coal, can be used to benefit countries where there are still millions living below the poverty line. This is also true, to an extent, because often there is little trickle-down benefit for communities for vast mining operations. And it must end one day because the resource is finite.

Once it has been extracted, it is gone … whereas with wildlife, it continues to be able to drive tourism for generations into the future. Also, such ventures add to the already large and spreading footprint of Chinese influence in Africa which may, or may not, be a benign influence. Decisions on our resources should not be made with only a short-term focus.

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