Thursday, March 28, 2024

Yaluma warns DRC as Zambia is regaining top slot as Africa’s copper producer

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Mines and Minerals Minister Chris Yaluma has warned the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that it should watch out because Zambia is catching up and will soon regain its top spot as one of Africa’s leading copper producer.

 There have have been advocacy preached by both Government and stakeholders to diversify Zambia’s economy because depending on copper alone was not good enough  for the country because copper at some point will be depleted.

Yaluma said he was forecasting copper production in Zambia of at least 800 000 tonnes this year – which he described as a conservative estimate.

Yaluma said the DRC’s key investor attraction has very rich grades of copper but however said a key investor weakness is a chronic lack of power, as well as political instability.

“watch out because Zambia is catching up and will soon regain its top spot as one of Africa’s leading copper producer” Yaluma said

26 COMMENTS

  1. Now this is a Joke, do you honestly think the DRC is sitting idly? A clear case of Umwana ashenda. Talk about Zambia and never involve the DRC, mukasebanapofye.

    Most Mines in the DRC have own Turbines, and produce enough Power for own use. With Katanga Copper Company rumping up, startup of the Ivanhoe project, project expansions at Tenke and MMG Kinsevere the DRC is poised to do 2Million MT per annum Copper. That’s Two and Half times your 800 000MT.

    Come think of it, outside of the 600 000MT coming from Kansanshi, all other Mines combined will produce a partly 200 000MT. KCM as massive as the Mine is will be lucky to produce 40 000MT.

    • Being the largest copper or Gold producer in the world and beyond is use1ess if the benefits of that achievement is not felt by the citizens of that country and that’s exactly what’s happening in a country called Zambia and DRC, Nonsense!

    • Utterly childish obsession! Being number 1 Copper producer is meaningless when your citizens are grovelling in poverty. Africa’s number 1 oil producer, Nigeria, has fuel shortages and powercuts all the time.

  2. Useless empty tin of a minister he thinks its race what a disgrace, no wonder FQM was using Zambia mines to develop DRC and the Lazy Sausage in State House bailed them out as these leaders we have are a curse.
    It pains me that we have such dull chaps on GRZ payroll…a UNZA graduate can do a much better job. I just read the first paragraph and i was disgusted.

  3. Aiming for higher copper production should match the poverty reduction programs that the government have put in place. What’s the point of higher production when the refinery process is externalized? What’s the point of higher production when the mining companies are not held responsible for social responsibility? The mines are not doing enough to help alleviate poverty in the compounds situated around the mines.

    • LOMBE. GOOD POINT. YET THEY WANT TO SHUT THE REFINARY SO THAT THE FOREIGNERS GET 100 PERCENT PROFIT. HOW THEY MUST LAUGH AT THE STUPIDITY OF WE ZAMBIANS. BUT THESE YALUMAS GET PAID HANDSOMELY BY THESE PEOPLE TO ALLOW THEM TAKE RAW ORE OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

  4. 100 years from now future generations will ask questions on the meaning of vast empty holes in grounds of Zambia. They will be told that there used to be a lot of copper. Where did it go? It went to build Biejing. There will be completely nothing to show for it in Zambia because of voting for corrupt PF and MMD regimes. In our village a person like Lungu cannot even be voted as headman because he is a questionable character. That minister boasting there also does not have the interest of future generations. Myopic PF regime

  5. Myopic PF regime. The kafue and many other rivers have been polluted by the some of the mining firms. No one can take these mines to task because it looks like they bribe ministers and state house to avoid penalties.

  6. Guys all I see is critics without solutions.Tell me how its suppose to be done.

    We are so quick to criticize but we offer no solutions ourselves.Lets be proactive in our comments

  7. Zambia can even beat Chile in producing copper, if Zambia wants. BUT as long as that copper production contributes only 2% to national economy, and as long as the biggest beneficiaries are foreign companies, then being a biggest copper producer remains meaningless to local zambians.

  8. The problem is lack of political will..the govt is too lenient to the mining companies, the the mines contribute a reasonable share to the treasury. The reap a hell lot of profits yet they leave peanuts to our treasury..

  9. The DRC has various minerals such as gold, diamond , timber , and when look at the belt of copper in Zambia it shows that copper comes from the DRC !

  10. Tata Yaluma, when are we ordinary Zambians going to benefit from our copper when our Mines are run by Freeloading conglomerates?!

    Anyway, it’s good news and a congratulations on current gov’t. I think we should be able to take no.1 spot soon since DRC is busy with Ebola.

  11. Would it not be better to shut up and let them find out by themselves that Zambia reigns supreme. They will now invest more into their mines.

  12. Stupid yaluma ! Zambia has 5 so called major mines go to DRC it has 9 what a shame and empty tin minister.

  13. This is not to boast to DRC but it is talk to make zambians think that we have a sound econonic future.
    Put bluntly it is propaganda. Look at recent annoucements, new capital, $8billion railway now huge advancements in copper production. There is no guarantee of increased production owing to dispute within zcccm
    We have to borrow $1.6 billion so how the hell are we going pay for all this.

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