Zambianisation: Copper Mining Reforms of 1964 to 1980

Kenneth David Kaunda was the first president of Zambia. He died on 17 June 2021, aged 97, and was in power from 24 October 1964 to 2 November 1991. In this book, Kaunda’s legacy is assessed against the copper mining reforms of 1968 and 1969. In August 2021, Zambia inaugurated its seventh post-colonial democratically elected president. From the time of Zambia’s independence in 1964 until now, copper mining continues to account for 90 per cent of Zambia’s foreign exchange revenue. Before independence, Zambia’s copper mines were controlled and owned by foreign-owned firms. After independence, however, Kaunda sought to control the ownership of mines and taxation policies through Zambianisation economic reforms. This book examines the pre-colonial factors that prompted Kaunda to aggressively pursue Zambianisation copper mining reforms as the basic tool for aligning political and economic policies with economic empowerment and nation-building.

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About the author

Cecil Nsambila Mbolela
Cecil Nsambila Mbolela is a native of Mufulira on the Copperbelt and a Zambian American. He is an adjunct professor of Finance and Economics at…
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The information in this book will add knowledge to economic and political research by examining the following questions: did Zambianisation destroy copper mining profitability or were the mines destroyed by global events outside of Kaunda’s control? The cost-benefit model as the model for appraising the political and economic outcomes of Zambianisation copper mining and other industrial economic reforms is discussed in depth.