Thursday, March 28, 2024

400+ tonnes daily production is achievable at KCM

Share

KCM CEO Deshnee Naidoo with senior staff KCM Head Office in Chingola

Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Chief Executive Officer Deshnee Naidoo has promised to work hard with her team to re-establish KCM’s reputation as one of the world’s leading producers of copper.

Ms Naidoo who is also Vedanta Africa Base Metals CEO under which KCM falls said the target of producing the 400 plus tonnes of copper is achievable.

She was speaking in Chingola where she addressed employees during the launch of the Safe 400+ tonnes Campaign, an initiative introduced to push copper production to a minimum of 400 tonnes per day in a safe manner.

KCM’s production is on an upward trajectory, averaging 350 tonnes per day in June.

“The numbers show that the 400+ tonnes target is achievable. The management team has initiated this campaign to bring in new energy and give the momentum another push. The 400+ tonnes figure is what KCM needs in order to break-even and start making money. “KCM has a worldwide reputation for having one of the best copper ore bodies. We also have a reputation for having some of the best people in the industry. We have to produce at the level that this asset was designed to produce,” Ms Naidoo said.

She said change had dawned at KCM in terms of production and urged the workforce to pull together safely towards the target of 400 tonnes per day.

She said as a starting point, there is need for KCM to pull together towards the Safe 400+ tonnes number, thereby showing the world that KCM is a serious business.

Ms Naidoo emphasised that safety was the highest priority in the production value chain, adding that she could and would shut down a mining area or processing plant if the safety of employees was under threat.

“The first thing on my mind, as a priority for KCM, is safety. We cannot have production if it does not come safely. When there is a fatality, it hurts and devastates. We do not want production if it is not safe. We are so committed to this objective that we will stop production if needed, to make that clear,” she said.

Ms Naidoo assured the team that she would build up on the good work done on safety at KCM up to now. The company has also planned a bonus scheme for employees and other recognitions as part of the employee incentives during the campaign.

This is according to a statement by KCM Manager Public Relations and Communications Shapi Shachinda.

6 COMMENTS

  1. this is just mere rhetoric..how can you achieve 400 tonnes of copper with a demoralized workforce..??? your contractors haven’t bn paid for 3 months now..you owe parmalat huge debts,to the extent that workers have not been issued with milk as a safety measure for those working in dangerous fumes for 4 months now…so what safety are you talking about..???? hopefully one day kcm would have credible investor..we so tired of these indians

  2. Many people in Zambia don’t think. Many people depend on copper to survive. Copper ilapwa. So for the sake of sustainability, please limit production please. Once copper is finished Zambia will be done completely. Think people of Zambia. Good example,kabwe.

    • I remember back in the day (20 years ago) reading assessments by World Bank & Co stating that this mine there would be no copper in 20 years at this mine …today they are talking about 400 metric tonnes.

  3. Iikata taibuluma. This is just rhetoric, KCM even produces 350 tons per day? where do the proceeds from sales go if contractors can have credit terms as long as 300 days? Shame! what is happening at KCM!

  4. suppose they produce 350 tonnes of copper per day. The price ofcopper on the London metal exchange is 6000 USD per tonne
    now multiply 350 x 6000 =USD1 750 000.00

    Subtract production costs which is 1000 dollars per tonne
    350×1000 = USD350 000.00
    PROFIT PER DAY =1 750 000-350 000
    PROFIT=1 350 000.00
    But yet miners are paid peanuts subcontractors have not been paid for three months
    ZRA doesn’t get the 100% benefit from this mine
    Chingola is a sorry sight
    Investor temunobe

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading