Social change and social conflict in Zambian Copperbelt mine communities

Social conflict has risen in Zambia's Copperbelt region in the past decade, as new private mine owners confront mine communities unwilling to accept the unequal and (from their perspective) unjust distribution of mining wealth. The historically low level of social provision by these mine companies is, this article argues, a significant generator of community grievances and broader social conflict. Company-community relations and social provision – mainly in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility programmes - are however particularly problematic because they are based on an outdated construction of community identity that foregrounds (mainly male) employees and their families. This fails to recognize the transformation in mine community composition, governance, and representation that has taken place since privatisation in the late 1990s/early 2000s, creating more diverse communities that are however profoundly affected by mining activity. This article, drawing on research conducted in Zambia between 2022 and 2023, argues that the marginalization of actually existing mine communities – both in representational terms and in recognition of their specific grievances – has contributed to rising social conflict in the region. Our research further demonstrates a complex interplay of the legacy of earlier company social provision for, and problematic representation of, mine communities and community identity and claim-making based on their collective memory of this earlier period.