The Politics of Natural Resources and Underdevelopment in Copper-Rich Zambia, 1964-2011

• In Event: Political Settlements, Natural Resource Extraction and Inclusive Development: Comparing Latin America and Africa

Abstract

Existing literature on the political economy of Zambia’s Copperbelt gives insufficient insight into the relationship between mining governance, resource allocation and developmental outcomes, arguably because it has ignored the historical background to the political incentives and systems that inform this relation. Zambia is a classic example of a mineral-rich country in which copper resources have dominated economic and political development. While rich in copper ores, accounting for over 75% of current exports, Zambia shows high levels of inequality and social indicators placing it near the bottom of global tables. In this paper, we argue that there has been considerable historical continuity in the nature of state-natural resources relations. The political culture, premised on the labour-reserve economy of the colonial past, is based on protecting the interest of ‘labour migrants’ and current day urban dwellers. The absence of an independent entrepreneurial class has led to the creation of a political elite that is solely dependent on the state for their economic survival and has little incentive to facilitate the establishment of indigenous entrepreneurs to diversify the economy. The enduring features of Zambia’s political system, such as the executive powers of president, entitlements of the political elite and the civil service, the dominance of international capital at the expense of local entrepreneurship, have led to incoherent, ad hoc and ineffective policies. With the weakening of civil society and absence of social movements, public discontent about the lack of inclusive development and growing inequality seems to lack an outlet, except at election time.

Author

• Marja Hinfelaar, Southern African Institute for Policy and Research