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Malachite
Velvet type
6x3 cm
Dikuluwe Mine, Kolwezi, Western area, Shaba Cu belt, Shaba (Katanga)
Congo (Zaire)
Malachite
Velvet type
6x3 cm
Dikuluwe Mine, Kolwezi, Western area, Shaba Cu belt, Shaba (Katanga)
Congo (Zaire)
This is a Malachite stalactite cave, Kolwezi Mine 2005, from Katanga near Kolwezi, Democr. Rep. of Congo, Africa courtesy of the Collection of Willam B. Wray
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachite
Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral, with the formula Cu2CO3(OH)2. This opaque, green-banded mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses, in fractures and deep, underground spaces, where the water table and hydrothermal fluids provide the means for chemical precipitation. Individual crystals are rare, but occur as slender to acicular prisms. Pseudomorphs after more tabular or blocky azurite crystals also occur.[5]
The stone's name derives (via Latin: molochītis, Middle French: melochite, and Middle English melochites) from Greek Μολοχίτης λίθος molochites lithos, "mallow-green stone", from μολόχη molochē, variant of μαλάχη malāchē, "mallow".[6] The mineral was given this name due to its resemblance to the leaves of the mallow plant.[7] Copper (Cu2+) gives malachite its green color.[8]
Malachite was mined from deposits near the Isthmus of Suez and the Sinai as early as 4000 BCE.[9]
It was extensively mined at the Great Orme Mines in Britain 3,800 years ago, using stone and bone tools. Archaeological evidence indicates that mining activity ended c. 600 BCE, with up to 1,760 tonnes of copper being produced from the mined malachite.[10][11]
Here is information on Katanga DR Congo
www.mindat.org/locentry-1306408.html
www.visittucson.org/tucson-gem-mineral-fossil-showcase/
Every year the world-renowned Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase is like a time portal, a trip around the world, and a treasure hunt all rolled into one. Every winter, more than 65,000 guests from around the globe descend upon Tucson, AZ, to buy, sell, trade, and bear witness to rare and enchanting gems, minerals, and fossils at more than 50 gem show locations across the city. If you're planning a winter visit to Tucson, you won't want to miss this three-week-long event filled with shows, related events, a free day at the gem & mineral museum, and much, much more!
"Whether you’re looking for a $5 shimmering crystal necklace or a show-stopping $200,000 crystallized rock from an exotic location, the Tucson Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Shows have something for everyone.
www.visittucson.org/blog/post/gems-and-minerals/
The theme this year was Shades of Green- Experience the Magic. The theme for next year's show will be Red, White, and Blue Celebrate the Spirit of Minerals
xpopress.com/news/article/783/shades-of-green-70th-annual...
Green-colored gemstones are part of almost every mineral group. Famous members include emeralds (beryl); chrysoprase, bloodstone, aventurine, imperial jasper, kabamba jasper, and ocean jasper (quartz); green tourmaline; green sapphires; nephrite jade and imperial green jadeite; as well as tsavorite, grossular, demantoid, and drusy uvarovite (garnets).
There are also the soloists: malachite, amazonite, chrysoberyl, chrome diopside, maw-sit-sit, drusy liebethenite from Congo, fluorite, peridot, gaspeite, lime magnesite, seraphinite, prehnite, idocrase, and serpentine.
Green gems vary in hue, chroma (saturation), lightness, and tint, each with an identifiable green shade. They evoke memories of picturesque and scenic vistas, gardens, and lush meadows. Green is considered relaxing and pleasing to the eye and symbolizes nature, spring, healing, fertility, rebirth, and regeneration. It is linked to over thirty similes, idioms, and phrases used in everyday language.
TGMS 2025
Tucson Gem Show 2025
The Faradja Center in Kolwezi, Congo was founded by Mrs. Maguy Numbi to assist street children, many of them accused of being "sorcery children" in this deeply superstititous society which has been torn apart by war, famine, and now AIDS. World Vision assists the center with food and resources to get hundreds of street children back into school. Photo by Amanda Short.
Torbernite & Malachite
Torbernite Cu[UO2|PO4]2·12H2O
Malachite: Cu2[(OH)2|CO3]
Musonoi mine, Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Malachite. The mineral is hydrous copper carbonate. Kolwezi Mining District. Kolwezi, Lualaba, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Torbernite & Malachite
Torbernite Cu[UO2|PO4]2·12H2O
Malachite: Cu2[(OH)2|CO3]
Musonoi mine, Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Cuprosklodowskite
Cuprosklodowskite: Cu(UO2)2(HSiO4)2·6(H2O)
Musonoi mine, Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Cuprosklodowskite
Cuprosklodowskite: Cu(UO2)2(HSiO4)2·6(H2O)
Musonoi mine, Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Malachite. The mineral is hydrous copper carbonate. Kolwezi Mining District. Kolwezi, Lualaba, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sywell 14 April 1962. Scanned from my father's original negative. Copyright Jim Cain.
Seen while operated by Marshalls Flying Services of Cambridge.
It was sold to France less than a month after the photo was taken, and re-registered F-BGZJ in July 1962. It was sold again on 30 November 1962, becoming OO-ITI. Around a month later on 29 December 1962 while parked at Kolwezi Airfield, Belgian Congo, it was destroyed by UN Saab J 29Bs.
This is a Malachite formation from the Star of Congo Mine, Democratic Republic of the Congo. labelled The Wisdom Tree.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etoile_mine
The Etoile Mine (also known as L'Etoile du Congo Mine, Kalukuluku, or Star of the Congo Mine)[1] is an open-pit copper mine on the outskirts of Lubumbashi in Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Chemaf (Chemical of Africa) owns the license. Chemaf is 95% owned by Shalina Resources and 5% by the DRC government.[2]
The Etoile orebody lies within the copperbelt that stretches from Luanshya in Zambia to Kolwezi in the DRC. As with many of the deposits in southern Katanga, it is a stratiform copper-cobalt deposit. An enlarged oxide cap about 50 metres (160 ft) overlays an inclined stratiform sulphide deposit.[4]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachite
Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral, with the formula Cu2CO3(OH)2. This opaque, green-banded mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses, in fractures and deep, underground spaces, where the water table and hydrothermal fluids provide the means for chemical precipitation. Individual crystals are rare, but occur as slender to acicular prisms. Pseudomorphs after more tabular or blocky azurite crystals also occur.[5]
The stone's name derives (via Latin: molochītis, Middle French: melochite, and Middle English melochites) from Greek Μολοχίτης λίθος molochites lithos, "mallow-green stone", from μολόχη molochē, variant of μαλάχη malāchē, "mallow".[6] The mineral was given this name due to its resemblance to the leaves of the mallow plant.[7] Copper (Cu2+) gives malachite its green color.[8]
Malachite was mined from deposits near the Isthmus of Suez and the Sinai as early as 4000 BCE.[9]
It was extensively mined at the Great Orme Mines in Britain 3,800 years ago, using stone and bone tools. Archaeological evidence indicates that mining activity ended c. 600 BCE, with up to 1,760 tonnes of copper being produced from the mined malachite.[10][11]
Here is information on Katanga DR Congo
www.mindat.org/locentry-1306408.html
www.visittucson.org/tucson-gem-mineral-fossil-showcase/
Every year the world-renowned Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase is like a time portal, a trip around the world, and a treasure hunt all rolled into one. Every winter, more than 65,000 guests from around the globe descend upon Tucson, AZ, to buy, sell, trade, and bear witness to rare and enchanting gems, minerals, and fossils at more than 50 gem show locations across the city. If you're planning a winter visit to Tucson, you won't want to miss this three-week-long event filled with shows, related events, a free day at the gem & mineral museum, and much, much more!
"Whether you’re looking for a $5 shimmering crystal necklace or a show-stopping $200,000 crystallized rock from an exotic location, the Tucson Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Shows have something for everyone.
www.visittucson.org/blog/post/gems-and-minerals/
The theme this year was Shades of Green- Experience the Magic. The theme for next year's show will be Red, White, and Blue Celebrate the Spirit of Minerals
xpopress.com/news/article/783/shades-of-green-70th-annual...
Green-colored gemstones are part of almost every mineral group. Famous members include emeralds (beryl); chrysoprase, bloodstone, aventurine, imperial jasper, kabamba jasper, and ocean jasper (quartz); green tourmaline; green sapphires; nephrite jade and imperial green jadeite; as well as tsavorite, grossular, demantoid, and drusy uvarovite (garnets).
There are also the soloists: malachite, amazonite, chrysoberyl, chrome diopside, maw-sit-sit, drusy liebethenite from Congo, fluorite, peridot, gaspeite, lime magnesite, seraphinite, prehnite, idocrase, and serpentine.
Green gems vary in hue, chroma (saturation), lightness, and tint, each with an identifiable green shade. They evoke memories of picturesque and scenic vistas, gardens, and lush meadows. Green is considered relaxing and pleasing to the eye and symbolizes nature, spring, healing, fertility, rebirth, and regeneration. It is linked to over thirty similes, idioms, and phrases used in everyday language.
TGMS 2025
Tucson Gem Show 2025
This is a Malachite formation from the Star of Congo Mine, Democratic Republic of the Congo. labelled The Wisdom Tree.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etoile_mine
The Etoile Mine (also known as L'Etoile du Congo Mine, Kalukuluku, or Star of the Congo Mine)[1] is an open-pit copper mine on the outskirts of Lubumbashi in Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Chemaf (Chemical of Africa) owns the license. Chemaf is 95% owned by Shalina Resources and 5% by the DRC government.[2]
The Etoile orebody lies within the copperbelt that stretches from Luanshya in Zambia to Kolwezi in the DRC. As with many of the deposits in southern Katanga, it is a stratiform copper-cobalt deposit. An enlarged oxide cap about 50 metres (160 ft) overlays an inclined stratiform sulphide deposit.[4]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachite
Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral, with the formula Cu2CO3(OH)2. This opaque, green-banded mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses, in fractures and deep, underground spaces, where the water table and hydrothermal fluids provide the means for chemical precipitation. Individual crystals are rare, but occur as slender to acicular prisms. Pseudomorphs after more tabular or blocky azurite crystals also occur.[5]
The stone's name derives (via Latin: molochītis, Middle French: melochite, and Middle English melochites) from Greek Μολοχίτης λίθος molochites lithos, "mallow-green stone", from μολόχη molochē, variant of μαλάχη malāchē, "mallow".[6] The mineral was given this name due to its resemblance to the leaves of the mallow plant.[7] Copper (Cu2+) gives malachite its green color.[8]
Malachite was mined from deposits near the Isthmus of Suez and the Sinai as early as 4000 BCE.[9]
It was extensively mined at the Great Orme Mines in Britain 3,800 years ago, using stone and bone tools. Archaeological evidence indicates that mining activity ended c. 600 BCE, with up to 1,760 tonnes of copper being produced from the mined malachite.[10][11]
Here is information on Katanga DR Congo
www.mindat.org/locentry-1306408.html
www.visittucson.org/tucson-gem-mineral-fossil-showcase/
Every year the world-renowned Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase is like a time portal, a trip around the world, and a treasure hunt all rolled into one. Every winter, more than 65,000 guests from around the globe descend upon Tucson, AZ, to buy, sell, trade, and bear witness to rare and enchanting gems, minerals, and fossils at more than 50 gem show locations across the city. If you're planning a winter visit to Tucson, you won't want to miss this three-week-long event filled with shows, related events, a free day at the gem & mineral museum, and much, much more!
"Whether you’re looking for a $5 shimmering crystal necklace or a show-stopping $200,000 crystallized rock from an exotic location, the Tucson Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Shows have something for everyone.
www.visittucson.org/blog/post/gems-and-minerals/
The theme this year was Shades of Green- Experience the Magic. The theme for next year's show will be Red, White, and Blue Celebrate the Spirit of Minerals
xpopress.com/news/article/783/shades-of-green-70th-annual...
Green-colored gemstones are part of almost every mineral group. Famous members include emeralds (beryl); chrysoprase, bloodstone, aventurine, imperial jasper, kabamba jasper, and ocean jasper (quartz); green tourmaline; green sapphires; nephrite jade and imperial green jadeite; as well as tsavorite, grossular, demantoid, and drusy uvarovite (garnets).
There are also the soloists: malachite, amazonite, chrysoberyl, chrome diopside, maw-sit-sit, drusy liebethenite from Congo, fluorite, peridot, gaspeite, lime magnesite, seraphinite, prehnite, idocrase, and serpentine.
Green gems vary in hue, chroma (saturation), lightness, and tint, each with an identifiable green shade. They evoke memories of picturesque and scenic vistas, gardens, and lush meadows. Green is considered relaxing and pleasing to the eye and symbolizes nature, spring, healing, fertility, rebirth, and regeneration. It is linked to over thirty similes, idioms, and phrases used in everyday language.
TGMS 2025
Tucson Gem Show 2025
Malachite. The mineral is hydrous copper carbonate. Kolwezi Mining District. Kolwezi, Lualaba, Democratic Republic of Congo.
FOV: 4.2mm
Musonoi Mine, Kolwezi, Kolwezi mining district, Lualaba, DR Congo
Photo & collection: Fran García 4.2021
Malachite. The mineral is hydrous copper carbonate. Mashaba West Mine. Kolwezi District. Katanga (Shaba) Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. (Collection of the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. Golden, Colo.)
Cuprosklodowskite from Zaire, Africa. (Robert Lauf collection)
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 5500 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
The silicates are the most abundant and chemically complex group of minerals. All silicates have silica as the basis for their chemistry. "Silica" refers to SiO2 chemistry. The fundamental molecular unit of silica is one small silicon atom surrounded by four large oxygen atoms in the shape of a triangular pyramid - this is the silica tetrahedron - SiO4. Each oxygen atom is shared by two silicon atoms, so only half of the four oxygens "belong" to each silicon. The resulting formula for silica is thus SiO2, not SiO4.
Cuprosklodowskite is a scarce hydrous copper uranyl hydroxy-silicate mineral, Cu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2·6H2O. It has a nonmetallic luster, a greenish color, is 4 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, forms elongated, acicular (needle-like) crystals, and is radioactive. Cuprosklodowskite is a secondary uranium mineral that forms by alteration of uraninite (or other primary U minerals) in an oxidizing environment. The original U+4 ions in uraninite get oxidized into U+6 and usually become incorporated into uranyl ions, (UO2)+2. In the presence of water, copper, and silica, cuprosklodowskite can form.
Locality: Musonoi Mine, west of the town of Kolwezi, southern Katanga Province, southern Zaire ("D.R. Congo") (locality info. at www.mindat.org/loc-4322.html )
---------------
Photo gallery of cuprosklodowskite:
Cuprosklodowskite from Zaire, Africa. (Robert Lauf collection)
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 4900 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
The silicates are the most abundant and chemically complex group of minerals. All silicates have silica as the basis for their chemistry. "Silica" refers to SiO2 chemistry. The fundamental molecular unit of silica is one small silicon atom surrounded by four large oxygen atoms in the shape of a triangular pyramid - this is the silica tetrahedron - SiO4. Each oxygen atom is shared by two silicon atoms, so only half of the four oxygens "belong" to each silicon. The resulting formula for silica is thus SiO2, not SiO4.
Cuprosklodowskite is a scarce hydrous copper uranyl hydroxy-silicate mineral, Cu(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2·6H2O. It has a nonmetallic luster, a greenish color, is 4 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, forms elongated, acicular (needle-like) crystals, and is radioactive. Cuprosklodowskite is a secondary uranium mineral that forms by alteration of uraninite (or other primary U minerals) in an oxidizing environment. The original U+4 ions in uraninite get oxidized into U+6 and usually become incorporated into uranyl ions, (UO2)+2. In the presence of water, copper, and silica, cuprosklodowskite can form.
Locality: Musonoi Mine, west of the town of Kolwezi, southern Katanga Province, southern Zaire ("D.R. Congo") (locality info. at www.mindat.org/loc-4322.html )
---------------
Photo gallery of cuprosklodowskite:
This elite malachite stalactite on matrix was bought by Matthew Webb during a visit to Lubumbashi in December 2009. Of the 2500 kilograms of Katanga mineral specimens that the author worked with in late 2009, this is clearly the most memorable piece that he worked with.
This elite malachite specimen was stewarded through airport security check points in Lubumbashi, Johannesburg, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. This elite mineral specimen was a piece of carry on luggage during the thousands of kilometers that the author travelled with this piece. It is remarkable that this piece has survived the journey from a large mineralized pocket to its safety deposit locker in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
To SEE and short VIDEO of this malachite stalactite, double click on the following link:
www.flickr.com/photos/146744212@N04/51974680090/in/album-...
Torbernite from Zaire. (Wayne State University collection, Detroit, Michigan, USA)
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 6100 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
The phosphate minerals have one or more phosphate anions (PO4-3).
Torbernite and metatorbernite are scarce hydrous copper uranyl phosphate minerals. They have a nonmetallic luster, deep green color, light green streak, are fairly soft (H=2.5), typically have tabular crystals forming closely-packed clusters, and are radioactive. These minerals are principally valued as collector specimens and not as ore minerals of uranium. Torbernite is Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2·10H2O. Metatorbernite is Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2·8H2O - it forms by partial dehydration of torbernite. Torbernite is a secondary uranium mineral that forms by alteration of uraninite (or other primary U minerals) in an oxidizing environment. The original U+4 ions in uraninite get oxidized into U+6 and usually become incorporated into uranyl ions, (UO2)+2. In the presence of water, copper, and phosphorus, torbernite can form. In dry air, torbernite alters to metatorbernite.
Locality: Musonoi Mine, west of the town of Kolwezi, southern Katanga Province, southern Zaire ("D.R. Congo") (locality info. at www.mindat.org/loc-4322.html )
---------------
Photo gallery of torbernite:
www.mindat.org/gallery.php?min=3997
---------------
Photo gallery of metatorbernite:
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
creativecommons.org/licenses
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
creativecommons.org/licenses
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
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Laura and Sylvain were able to see the different steps of the cobalt supply chain first hand. GIZ (German Development Cooperation), BGR (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources) and Congolese IDAK (Investissement Durable au Katanga) helped organize the on-site visits as well as a workshop with cobalt industry stakeholders.
Cuprite & Malachite, Mushamba West Mine, Kolwezi, Katanga, Kongo.
Seen in "Terra Mineralia", one of the largest collections of minerals in the world.
Kolwezi is like a western movie. Everything and everyone has something to do with mining.
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
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All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
creativecommons.org/licenses
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
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Laughing about the Knakerbrod sandwiches we gave her.
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
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This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
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Filming some riders.
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Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
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Built under a 1902 concession agreement and opened in stages between 1908 and 1931, the 1 067 mm gauge Benguela Railway links the Atlantic port of Lobito with Luau and DR Congo border, with 67 stations. Operations were disrupted by civil war from 1975, and through traffic to DR Congo ceased in 1981. By the time the concession expired in 2001 the line had been wrecked by war and neglect, with only the 34 km between Benguela and Lobito still functioning.
Following the end of the conflict the government launched a rehabilitation project in 2002, initially using local resources. A deal was reached for China to back the project, and large qualities of Chinese material began arriving in 2006, enabling China Railway Construction Corp to reinstate the line in stages. A freight train reached the border with DR Congo in August 2013 and the project was completed in August 2014. However there were no regular passenger or freight services.
The rebuild has raised the maximum speed from around 30 km/h to 90 km/h, with a 30 h journey time from Lobito to Luau. All equipment was sourced from China and is to Chinese technical standards. Around 100 000 Angolans were employed during the reconstruction works, with 10 000 receiving specialist railway training.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, studies to rehabilitate a rail line from the Congolese town of Dilolo on the Angolan border to the copper-rich city of Kolwezi in central-southern Congo are under way. In Zambia, studies are being conducted to build a new rail line linking the Zambian Copperbelt cities of Chingola, Solwezi and Lumwana with an Angolan-proposed spur line from Luacano. This spur could be integrated into an existing but unreliable Zambian rail line that connects to the Tanzanian port of Dar-es-Salaam and also to South Africa.
The spur to Zambia and the Congo is less about creating a comprehensive pan-southern Africa rail infrastructure network and more about Angola setting itself up to become a hub for commodity exports from south-central Africa. Were this to happen, mine operators would benefit from shorter distances to port and a cheaper transportation method than the road routes they currently use to Durban, South Africa. In the case of existing mining operations in the Congo's Katanga province, Angola's regional railway development could alleviate congestion that results from the poor state of roads currently in use — and in the case of the Dilolo-Kolwezi corridor, an almost non-existent road. The Congo spur line from Angola could also help mining companies develop stranded resources. For instance, it could lead to the development of the Congo's diamond-rich Kasai region, which to date has been underdeveloped and dependent on the poor road networks that exist between it and Katanga.
Angola benefits from the rehabilitation of the Benguela line in several ways. For one, Angola receives export charges and taxes from traffic on the line. The line also enables the Angolan government to develop a region — the northeast in general and the Lunda provinces in particular — that has been relatively isolated since at least the start of the Angolan civil war in 1975, despite the fact that it is rich in diamond resources. Once the Benguela line proves its reliability, Angola can begin to attract other economic activity aside from mineral transport and can support additional services, such as light manufacturing and transport of general supplies, which feed from the coastal terminus into south-central Africa. Until now, these functions have been the province of South Africa.
In large part because of its proven infrastructure, even though it is severely congested, South Africa has become the economic hub of southern Africa. Its mining interests and advanced economy have enabled South Africa to attain economic dominance over the rest of the region. In exchange, the region enjoys the benefits of South African-supported infrastructure; for instance, other countries are able to export and import by road and thereby mobilize investment to develop otherwise stranded resources.
But South Africa's neighbours do not necessarily trust its influence. Even though Pretoria is no longer governed by an apartheid regime, the government's assumption that it is Africa's dominant power generates opposition in countries that have experienced South African destabilization efforts in the past or that see themselves as legitimate African powers.
Angola is one such country.
The end of the civil war allowed Angola to begin to fully develop a small but growing economy based on lucrative and extensive oil and natural gas fields — crude oil output has expanded from 1 million barrels per day in 2002 to nearly 1.9 million barrels per day in 2011 — as well as an underdeveloped mining sector that includes diamonds. The maintenance of a robust security apparatus has led the Angolan regime (which has been led by the same figures throughout — from independence to civil war to democratization) to view itself as deserving of greater recognition and influence. Indeed, Angola's economy has attracted the interest of South Africa, which proposed to finance new roads into the Angolan heartland to develop Angola's diamond-mining sector. Still, both governments are very much in competition with one another to extend their respective influence in the southern African region.
For Angola, building greater influence will take more than a few years or a few development projects. But rehabilitating a rail line that creates commercial alternatives to the established South African infrastructure in the heartland of south-central Africa can support Angola's vision to become a regional power
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
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It is a dirt road, but it is still OK. All the trucks from the mines pass this road. It is the main connection between the mines and Lubumbashi.
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
creativecommons.org/licenses
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
creativecommons.org/licenses
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
creativecommons.org/licenses
Our first photo shoot for the "greetings from ... " FairPhone cards
All photos should be credited to Fairphone
Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.
creativecommons.org/licenses