A Critical Analysis of the New Mining Company Town Kalumbila, Zambia

Abstract

Mining company towns are concrete sites where the spatial government of mining companies and its consequences can be studied. In this thesis I did a qualitative case study on the new mining company town Kalumbila based on three months of field work between June and September 2019. Kalumbila is being developed next to a copper mine owned by First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (FQM) in the Northwestern Province of Zambia. It is a particularly interesting case to study, as it is presented as a model town, open to non-miner residents and investors and designed to be sustainable and outlive the mine’s lifespan. I analysed how FQM governs space and people in Kalumbila by examining the planning goals for the town, the access regime to town infrastructure and services, as well as the narratives and practices of residents. The analysis shows that there is a strong overlap between the work and private life of people in Kalumbila. This has contributed to a lack of privacy and trust among residents, which in turn has reduced their participation in the town community. Moreover, house sharing is a common practice in Kalumbila and has led to the fact that many residents see the town as a place of accommodation during work, rather than a new home. The research further demonstrates that hierarchies in the mining company are strongly influencing the social structures in Kalumbila, having resulted in the creation of spatially segregated and socially distinct groups. To which group a person belongs, determines his or her possibilities of accessing town infrastructure and services. Kalumbila presents thus a spatial imprint of the mining company hierarchies. By providing insight into the functioning of a new mining company town, this thesis contributes to an understanding of the socio-spatial transformations induced by large-scale mining operations in the Global South.

Esta tesis es un estudio de caso cualitativo sobre la nueva ciudad minera de Kalumbila, basado en tres meses de trabajo de campo en el 2019. Kalumbila se está desarrollando junto a una mina de cobre perteneciente a First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (FQM) en Zambia. Se presenta como una ciudad modelo diseñada para superar la explotación minera. Analicé cómo FQM gobierna Kalumbila, examinando los objetivos de planificación de la ciudad, el régimen de acceso a la infraestructura y los servicios de la ciudad y la narrativa de los habitantes. El análisis muestra que existe un fuerte lazo entre el trabajo y la vida privada de los habitantes. Esto ha resultado en una falta de participación de los residentes en la vida comunitaria. Además, compartir casa es una práctica común, por eso muchos residentes ven la ciudad como un lugar de alojamiento durante el trabajo. Las jerarquías de la empresa minera influyen fuertemente en las estructuras sociales en Kalumbila resultando en la creación de grupos territorialmente segregados y socialmente diferenciados. Esta tesis contribuye a la comprensión de las transformaciones socioespaciales inducidas por las explotaciones mineras a gran escala en el Sur Global.