Zambia Philately: 1967 National Development – 1/- Coalfields

In the First National Development Plan, focus was placed on copper prospecting, exploration, development, mining and metallurgy. This did not mean that the prospecting, exploration and development of non-copper minerals was neglected. The main breakthrough in non-copper
mining was the development of coal mines and the discovery of nickel.

Among fuels, the most significant commodity exploited was coal. A coal survey programme was conducted and it was determined that a large tonnage of readily mineable coal of a reasonable quality was found.

Previously, Southern Rhodesia’s Wankie mines provided Zambia with their coal. In 1965 with Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence, Zambia faced a threat in the reduction of coal or increased pricing due to the need to import from overseas.

The Nkandabwe Mine was the first coal mine developed. The Siankondobo Mine (later known as Maamba Mine) was developed later. Both mines, by 1968, produced all of Zambia’s coal and reduced the reliance on Rhodesian coal.