A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the of Masters of Arts Degree in Labour and Development, Economic Policy, Globalisation and Labour (Labour Policy and Globalisation). Johannesburg, 2016 / Zambia has been implementing economic liberalisation policies at the advice of the IMF and the World Bank, to reverse years of economic decline that began with the commodity crisis of the 1970s. As a strategy for economic growth, these included, the deregulation of foreign investment, removal of currency controls, trade liberalisation, decontrolling prices, cutting food subsidies, reduction of state control in running the economy and privatization of state run companies. The rapid implementation of these measures by the Zambian government has seen a change in employment trends in the mining industry from permanent employment to casualisation of labour.These measures have resulted into negative social and economicconsequences on the lives of the casualised mine workers such as job insecurity, poor health and safety standards, lack of protection and union representation, poor remuneration, lack of pension,and other forms of exploitation. Despite booms and busts in the copper price, employment levels have been drastically dropping especially among the permanent mine workers as a cost cutting measure. The role of the state in the running of the mines which Zambia has depended on since independence has diminished significantly and the state is increasingly succumbing to the dictates of the mining Trans-National Corporations (TNCs).The study which was conducted among casualised/contract rock ore drillers at Mopani Copper Mines Plc reaffirms arguments by previous researchers that economic liberalisation has not achieved the high expectations that Zambians wished for and that there is need for government and trade unions to protect the welfare and working conditions of these casualised mine workers who have become a new set of underclass. Through in-depth interviews, observations and documentary analysis, this research has brought to light the social and economic experiences of casualised/contract rock ore drillers at Mopani Copper Mines Plc and questions whether Zambian mine workers were better off when the mines were being run by the state than is currently the case under TNCs. / MT2017

A thesis submitted in fulfillment for the degree of doctor of Philosophy in Management from Witwatersrand Business School at the University of Witwatersrand, December 2016 / Mining is an activity that many African countries depend on, and Africa’s export-oriented mining and quarrying is driven primarily by the commodity hunger of the world’s largest economies. In developing countries commodity exports form the most significant portion of exports. Although economic benefits are present because of mining activities, due to the scale and destructive nature of these mining activities some negative impacts are felt on the environment in terms of deforestation, land degradation, toxic water, and loss of farm lands to make way for mining activities. Using Botswana and Zambia as cases due to their institutional differences, mineral production and variety of ore, the study was conducted to see how mining activities affect communities in 216 households. Using a case approach, three primary sources of data in the form of household surveys, focus group discussions and the key informant interviews were used to capture data needed to answer the main research questions. Empirical research revealed that the socio-economic impacts of mining are mining induced displacement and resettlement (MIDR), the environment, infrastructure and social amenities, health, and the social fabric. The quantitative findings from the Relative Importance Index (RII) indicated that infrastructure and social amenities was the most important factor affecting communities, other important factors were health, and employment. Qualitative results highlighted negative environmental impacts as a result of a lack of law enforcement in Zambia, a fragmented social fabric in both Botswana and Zambia, and an overall improvement in health facilities more so in Zambia than Botswana. In addition, Zambia had a presence of mafia activity in the form of Jerabos and Chondos whereas Botswana had no reported evidence of mafia like activities. Theoretically, the study provided a new dimension of analysis of socio-economic impact which included the macro and meso-level as a better method of assessment of mining impact in communities. Through the empirical findings, a theory was abstracted to position the law as a key determinant of the quality of institutions and not just as one of the listed factors that affect institutional quality. The findings showed that the law greatly influences state capacity to promote economic development. A major difference in mining law in Zambia and Botswana is government’s involvement in the implementation of the law. Botswana shows evidence of more government influence on mining operations than Zambia which reduces the incidence of rent seeking behavior in Botswana, and shows that Botswana has better institutional quality than Zambia. However, global legal practices show that both countries require legal reform to improve their institutional quality and mitigate negative mining impacts. Legal frameworks for robust environmental protection, community engagement, and compensation are needed in both Botswana, and Zambia. Institutional quality is based on the extent to which the law is understood by all stakeholders and implemented. / MT2017