Mopani Copper Mines PLC has handed over a cheque worth K80 million to the University of Zambia (UNZA) towards the successful hosting of the School of Mines symposium.
Presenting the cheque to UNZA Vice Chancellor Stephen Simukanga at the UNZA School of Mines in Lusaka today, Mopani Copper Mines Chief Services Officer Moses Chilangwa observed that the mining industry which is growing at a phenomenal rate currently faces a critical shortage of skilled personnel.
Mr Chilangwa said the industry lacks suitably trained and experienced technical personnel to support its operations.
He said the situation is compounded by the fact that graduates from local institutions do not possess the skills and competencies required for them to immediately fit into the jobs offered by the industry.
Mr Chilangwa stated that in most cases the recruiting companies have to retrain the graduates with on the job competencies at a very high cost.
He said it is his company’s firm belief that the symposium will help find workable solutions to the various challenges being faced in the mining industry particularly in the training and development of mining personnel.
The Mopani Copper Mines Chief Services Officer expressed delight to note that UNZA has set out on a path of reformation even as competition and demand for quality continues to grow.
He remained optimistic that UNZA, as a pioneer training institution in the country and using the School of Mines, will assist in bridging the skills gap and help to develop, train and produce graduates who are up to date with current technology methods in the mining industry.
Mr Chilangwa said his company will continue working in collaboration with UNZA to ensure a mutually beneficial environment is created where learning and industry move together and compliment each other’s efforts.
And speaking at the same function, UNZA Vice Chancellor Stephen Simukanga thanked Mopani Copper Mines for the gesture saying it will go a long way in ensuring the successful hosting of the mining symposium.
Professor Simukanga said UNZA and Mopani Copper Mines share a long standing relationship which dates back to the times when Mopani Copper Mines was known as Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM).
He said it was good that companies that were operating in the country plough back some of their profits back to the community through their corporate social responsibility programmes.
Prof. Simukanga further stated that it was through gestures like the one Mopani made that strengthens the linkages between graduates and the industry.
He hoped that the partnership will also culminate into the rehabilitation of the school.
Prof. Simukanga urged Mopani to also help equip the School of Mines with state of art equipments so that students are fully drilled for industry.
-Konkola Copper Mines has spent K6 billion on revamping operations at the Kitwe Trades training institute.
Vice President Dr Guy toured the institution Scott today during which he was briefed about the support that KCM has given the institution.
During the tour, Dr Scott was impressed with the operations of the training centre where people especially youths get skills training in fields such as power electrical , auto mechanics and electronics among others.
During the Visit, the vice president was accompanied by Copperbelt minister Mwenya Musenge, Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Stanford Msichili, Patriotic Front senior provincial officials, district commissioners from around the province and other senior government officials.
And speaking before the vice president toured the training centre, KCM director for Economic Development Howard Chilundika said the Mining Company spent the K6 biliion on the institution in the past two years.
Mr Chilundika said K3 billion was spent on refurbishing the infrastructure at the institution while another K3 billion was used to purchase and improve the training equipment.
He added that the institution has partnered with some organizations in India to try and help improve the provision of skills to students.
The Vice president has since left for Chingola where he is expected to continue with his tour of the Konkola Copper mines operations.
ZANIS
K80 million = mopani
K6 billion = KCM
I wonder…
The documentary . “Zambia: Good copper, Bad copper-a documentary you should have seen on Zambian TV” should be televised in Zambia. These amounts from Mopani are peanuts……Â
Foolishness instead of putting where it belongs u take it lusaka,kulibonesha ta,y not give it to CBU school of mines?What csr just because KCM is renovating unza hostels and u think u can overshadow KCM?Mopani grow up with ur csr.
For once MOJO u r right,Foolishness indeed, instead of putting money where it belongs u take it to lusaka,kuliboneshata,y not give it to CBU school of mines?What a bad csr,just because KCM is renovating unza hostels at a cost of k 6bn and u think u can overshadow KCM?Mopani grow up with ur csr if possible start looking for a new crop of personel in crs dept i think the ones u have  have done u more harm than good.
Government should investigate Glencore in Zed-cant believe we are actually being taken for a ride in this time and age-by the time Mopani is done,a healthy&environmental problem awaits on the copperbelt-what MMD did to this country is the waste sin any govt. could do to its people economically-to think that Sata was hand&glove with Chiluba for ten years…kaya
Does he ve the capability to reverse those corrupt dealings, can he give the copperbelt its pride again-we are reaping less then 2% from total output in Mopani mines-what legacy is our leadership creating for themselves-we shall write books about you&your children&everyone who will follow after you will know about you…your choice leadership to make a good or an evil one…80 million kwacha my foot!
Ba Mopani naimwe kacepa. K80m for what? Buying test tubes or painting walls?
Iwe ka MOJO, what does it matter wether school of mines CBU or UNZA gets? It is one zambia, one nation! Many UNZA school of mines grads work on CB and Solwezi. Ubupina tulelwila na ka K80m zoona! We are trapped in a CYCLE OF POVERTY where poor people have a financially poor govt which poorly funds unis and unis poorly run their programmes and… Awe mwe. Let’s work hard!
thanx to mopani, for once the school of mines has received attention dont forget that more than 70% of mining engineers,metallurgists and geologist are from unza its a good start i hope the other firms will come on board
That’s it? Buti kwena. True “pretty” , that is nothing. They can’t even see that figure in a balance sheet. It’s a lunch allowance for an executive in Europe.Â
Time for us the people to wake up and demand gov’t introduces a fair tax system for all…let the mines contribute their fair share we will not be blinded by these hand outs…
K80million = R170,000 rands, is it worth announcing, peanuts
It was only logical to comment about UNZA because it was the venue of the symposium. CBU could not be discussed at a forum that was UNZA specific otherwise that would have been seen as going out of topic.
CBU and UNZA both still the top varsities in the country and in equal measure.