KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has given Mulungushi University US $1million for infrastructure development, registrar at the institution Roger Simasiku has said.
Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) meeting in Kabwe on Wednesday that the development of infrastructure at the university was progressing well.
The Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mulungushi University on the development of the institution.
“KCM has advised that it will come in fully after the University Act no 11 of 1999 is amended to provide for public private partnership in higher education.
“In the meantime let me state here that the mining company has so far given the university $1million for the development of the university,” Mr Simasiku said.
He said the Ministry of Education had since appointed a committee and a team of consultants to review the University Act.
He said the coming in of KCM at the university was expected to accelerate its development physically and academically.
He said the university was continuing with its infrast ructure development being financed by the Government.
The major works being undertaken include the constriction of a modern library, a lecture theatre, a new dining hall, students’ hostels as well as rehabilitation of the water network.
“We also want to install five generators at the institution at a cost of K3billion to ensure a steady supply of electricity and we are also undertaking irrigation and poultry projects at a cost of K7 billion,” Mr Simasiku said.
He defended the high fees the university was charging saying the institution was self-sustaining and never received bursary subsidies from the Government like the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University.
He was happy to note that enrolment of students at the institution had greatly improved.
For the full time diploma and degree programmes that started last month, Mr Simasiku said 32 diploma and 154 degree students have been enrolled.
[Times of ZAmbia]
Thanks KCM. This is much better than sponsoring football where there are dimishing returns
A good gesture, even thought it is a drop in the ocean compared to the US$1billion initial outlay that Vedenta Owner Anil Agarwal is spending on building a university in India. Call me a cynic, but i think this is a PR investment, give the issues of Taxation that faced the mines a couple of months ago.
#2 Simon
KCM is a private company from what I have heard. They certainly can do whatever they wish with their money. I think we should thank them for donating $1m, especially that our own goverment steals donor funds.
Whatever deal Zambia has with the mines was signed by our own govt, which we voted in. They are the ones who have failed us. We cant blame the investors, blame our Govt. Hard to accept but that’s reality. If you have a crap govt, garbage in garbage out.
I hope other mines and companies will donate millions of $ directly to projects like this one.
#3 UK Zed Observer. You are absolutely correct in your assertion that private companies should do as they please (within the bounds of the law of course). This largely depends on your ethical stance as well as economic ideology. But i agree, at the end of the day its about maximising THIER profits and its not their fault if our government is asleep. I guess the point i was trying to highlight was that $1m relative to what they are getting from the country is very insignificant. The fault for not being savvy when negociating commercial agreements lies with our government. Consequently our country becomes worse off and people blame privatisation when infact its the implimentation of it by incompetent leadership.
This is the type of news we need to hear more of, I applaud you KCM.
Indians are good propaganders. Their employees first time in the history of the mines since NCCM, RCM and KCM Anglo their salaries have not been increased and the working conditions are now horrible and pathetic. KCM hospitals now do not have basic essentials worse more medicine such panados, sringes etc.Roads in the mine townships are now full of potholes and they busy propaganding that they are helping people in Nyimba. if they can’t help to improve the welfare of their employees, worse more other areas??These guys are good at corrupting Zambian leaders.There is nothing actually happening on the ground. Shame on you Zambian leaders!!!
MMD is a pro capitalism by nature. This is what they were founded on, leading to mass privatisation. MMD would belong to parties and governments on the Right wing. Right wing ideologies say leave business out of private enterprise and let people fend for themselves. This is what USA is.
Leftist parties and governments tend to get involved in how business and the public run their affairs. Most European governts are leftist. Hence you have Reublicans and Conservative parties on the right while Democrats and Labour parties are on the left. Both have pros and cons, that’s why you have centre left or centre right people, or parties moving towards a certain direction.
It’s important to understand what MMD are. It makes them to waht they do. Only UNIP is leftist in Zed. The rest are…
Its pointless debating what MMD stands for because these assets do not belong to MMD, but to the country. Capitalism from a government perspective believes in letting business get on with business, but they expect to receive taxes from these efficeincies. Otherwise western governments would be bankrupt. Capitalism and leftist politics are not mutually exclusive. The Democrats in the US are leftist, but we know the prevailing economic system is capitalist. Obama wants to introduce leftist policies such as his health reforms (mirrorred on the UK NHS). The two can co exist. Capitalism in its pure form as espoused by Karl Marx does not exist. UK is capitalist, yet have huge welfare state (socialist). Capitalism is dynamic and it adapts to protect its existence.
the last 3 years the benefit for kcm is more than 1 billion US$..
parastatal zccm-ih has 20,4 % of KCM and receive only 1.8 M US$ (dividends) last 3 years !
1.8 M $ for 20.4 % .. and for 1 billion $ total benefit ! where are the other 198.6 M US$ ??
how could you think that Vedanta is a friend of zambia ?
i prefer to say that member of GRZ receive money to close theirs eyes
Well, well, well. KCM makes a lot of money and since this foolish government has removed windfall tax, KCM ileshinga butter pama***tako by giving US$1Million, they are generous though, given the blindness of the Movement for Mass Destruction, MMD.
wats happeing in zambia pipo,wats wrong with our politicians?
its really sad,but well,we are moving ip slowly.:d
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