Business
Congo being exploited, once again, for its riches
“We used to live from day to day,” said Jacques Vurande, a former artisanal miner who works in a co-operative producing rice, aubergines and palm oil to sell to Kibali’s catering company and in markets. He continued, “Now I can get something from agriculture, something that is lasting.”
In Durba, a town near Kokiza, some are less certain. Jerome Kamate has a degree in economics and management but no job. Kamate stated, “We used to survive on artisanal mining for our day-to-day living, but now the gold pits are closed to us.” He said, “We were told we’d get jobs in the mine, but that’s not the case.”
The lack of infrastructure is the main challenge to investors in Orientale. Congo, a country the size of western Europe, has just 2,000 km of asphalt roads and no reliable power. Kibali had to build a 180 km road to the Ugandan border to transport 500,000 tonnes of materials and equipment to construct the mine. That road has attracted traders from Congo and Uganda, helping the local economy to flourish.
Source: Business Day
