GOVERNMENT has cancelled the mining licence for Mwembeshi Resources Limited for its proposed large-scale mining project in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Mwembeshi Resources Limited’s decision to mine in the national park caused uproar among environmental conservationists, who were worried about the extensive damage the mining operations could cause to the environment and wildlife.

Last year, Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) cancelled the permission it had granted the mining company to begin mining operations in the national park, citing violation of a number of environmental conditions.

However, on Monday, the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, through its Cadastre Department, cancelled mining and non-mining rights for more than 2,600 companies, among them Mwembeshi Resources Limited.