The Environmental Council of Zambia came to Livingstone to hold a public meeting to discuss the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as produced by Legacy Holdings Zambia for their 220 ha development in the National Park. The meeting was held at Maramba River Lodge, which would be totally surrounded by the proposed development.

On the way we saw three busloads of cheering, singing people waiting by the side of the road. As we drove past, the buses turned round and followed. We all arrived at the meeting site together. The buses disgorged their singing people, two of them carrying a banner.

The busloads had come from Mukuni village. As I walked among them to the meeting site I could smell alcohol. So the scene was set for an interesting meeting.

Under shade sat the Legacy team and one lady from the Environmental Council who was chairing the meeting. The rest of us sat in the sun, a few people managing to find a bit of tree shade. The people from Mukuni Village all sat on the grass. After the singing of the National Anthem, the Chairlady gave the floor to Legacy: Jacob Sikazwe, Rennie Mushinge and Bart Dorrestein. They all had their turn to speak, and mostly their arguments surrounded the fact that the development was going to be environmentally sensitive and that they would provide much-needed jobs for Livingstone.

After the Legacy presentation, we were told that Chief Mukuni had arrived. He was welcomed by the Chairlady. Someone commented from the back that Chief Mukuni had to be welcomed properly. So someone came to the microphone and gave a speech in welcome. And then we were all told to kneel in welcome … which we did.

After this, the floor was given a chance to give presentations or to ask questions.

Many of the pro-Legacy had prepared presentations which centred around the fact that Livingstone needed the jobs and therefore the project should go ahead. I could not find any comments which related to the environment.

In between the pro-Legacy presentations other people tried to speak. Margaret Whitehead, an ex-Councillor of Livingstone, wondered how many of the people had read the EIA document (260 pages). The people sitting on the grass looked a bit confused. She then stated that a proper debate could not be conducted with people who had not read the document. She spoke strongly on the need to protect the environment around the Victoria Falls : it is the Victoria Falls and its wilderness value that brought the tourists to Livingstone. If we destroyed the environment through over-development, the tourists would stop coming … and then where would the jobs be? She said that the development was very welcome but hoped that Legacy would move it elsewhere; there are several other sites around Livingstone, but outside the Park, which would be suitable.

Jacob Sikazwe’s response was to ask ‘how many of you have shareholders in your business who are Zambians?’ This was a bit of a strange question.

Rennie Mushinge’s comment to Margaret was to wonder how many jobs she had created (Margaret used to be the bursar for a school; now a trustee for an orphanage; her husband the Anglican priest). Again the EIA came down to jobs … not about the environment.

General Kapawa commented that he was speaking on behalf of the animals because they could not speak for themselves. He wanted the development to move elsewhere and he urged the people not to be conquered by poverty and accept empty promises.

At some point, someone shouted from the back “What is an EIA?” The Chairlady said “It is an Environmental Impact Assessment.”

Councillor Brill got up and asked for a moment’s silence for all the animals which would be murdered.

Ian Manning got up and read a letter from NAMAC – an anti-corruption NGO – which stated that they were concerned over the allocation of the land to Legacy Holdings.

Peter Sinkamba, from Citizens for a Better Environment, said that procedures had not been followed in the allocation of the land to Legacy Holdings.

Throughout the course of the meeting the heckling had got worse and worse. Anyone who was for the Legacy development was cheered; anyone against, was shouted down.

A lady called Eleanor got up to say that she loved the Park and had brought her children up to respect the environment and had often brought them to the Park; that she could not afford to go to Luangwa. She wanted the development to go elsewhere. The shouting was so loud that Eleanor was stopped several times while the chairlady tried to quieten the crowd. It was at this point that I left …

Since that meeting the press have filled the pages with their reports of the meeting. It has reached several papers outside Zambia : South Africa, America and UK. Most of the reports concentrate on the threat by UNESCO to withdraw the World Heritage Status if the project goes ahead. This would have dire consequences on the tourism industry in Zambia. Not only would UNESCO withdraw the status, but they would also actively discourage tourists from coming to Livingstone. And what about other spectacular sites in Zambia; will UNESCO give us more heritage sites if we fail to look after this one? I doubt it.

The bottom line, though, is that Livingstone does need the development, it needs the jobs, but there are sites outside the Park which are available … so why can’t we keep our environment and get the jobs as well?

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