Opposition National Democratic Congress-NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili has supported government’s decision not to allow Glencore to place Mopani Copper Mines-MCM on care and maintenance.
Mr. Kambwili said this when he made submissions to a committee of three cabinet ministers who are on a fact-finding mission of the mining sector.
He said Mopani Management has been applying wrong mining methods, which have resulted in high cost production.
The NDC leader said government and political leaders must put their foot down and not allow the mines in Kitwe and Mufulira to be placed under care and maintenance.
He said Zambians are not in any way benefiting from Mopani as the company has employed many expatriates and engaged foreign contractors and suppliers at the expense of locals.
Mr. Kambwili noted that the mining firm has a cartel of foreign contractors and suppliers whom they contract at exorbitant costs.
According to ZNBC, Mr Kambwili submitted that the country has a lot of local experts who can run and manage the firm profitably.
The NDC leader cited that Mopani mine was run and managed efficiently and at low cost when it had Mr. Emmanuel Mutati as its Chief Executive Officer.
He further charged that it is not possible for him to go to the Media and criticize government decisions if he is consulted, like the case has been on Mopani mine.
Earlier, Finance Minister Bwalya Ng’andu said the three ministers are on a mission to have a clear picture of what is on the ground.
Dr. Ng’andu said government wants reliable information about operations of mining firms.
He thanked Mr. Kambwili for availing himself before the ministers especially that he had to drive from Lusaka just to make his submissions.
And Mines Minister Richard Musukwa said the intention of government is to sustain mine operations at Mopani beyond the Ninety days notification that Mopani has given government.
Copperbelt Minister Japhen Mwakalombe, Members of Parliament for Mufulira Central, Kamfinsa, Wusakile, Chimwemwe and Kitwe District Commissioner Chileshe Bweupe also joined the meeting in Kitwe this morning.
Is it really government business what mining method the company uses???
Why is it that this mine noise is only found in Zambia and not in many countries which have mines???? It seems alot of people have a hang over of ZCCM that time is GONE GONE and GONE.
Zambians how dull are u? Get these mines back & let Zambians run them. How can you be pleading for foreigners to run your economy, u beg that they should not put them on maintenance. Your own country? Get the mines back.
Yes Dr Kambwile,
There’s a plethora of skilled Zambians on the Copperbelt languishing in the various townships.
I worked as an expat in Luanshya, Nampundwe and Chililabombwe. I know the quality of the diverse skills available on the Copperbelt. I envisage the 2-3 seasoned expats can help those skilled Zambians harness their potential to make a success of running these mines. I’ve communicated these sentiments to Mr Chewe at MUZ. Let’s take the bull by the horns and develop these assets.
The country & the people of Zambia benefit nothing. KK ran these mines & employed & educated millions. Today copperbelt is in tatters, people are in rugs & thin. Foreigners are ripping us off & politicians are begging. Next year they will say vote for them. Get the mines back
Thats maturity ba kambwili give credit where its due, can you also impact some knowledge on your newly found under5 friend hh, because all he knows its himself first,millions will loose jobs if you dont put your foot down.
The part that is wrong is the number of expatriates working at the mines. Locals should always be employed before any creature that comes from outside of Africa. If the expatriates were Namibian or Moroccan I would not be as upset. This has to end on the continent. Zambians need to work with others on the continent. Better managers and hard working Zambians is all that is needed. Chiluba caused this with his corrupt minions. Zambia rise, pray and work hard.
Nzelu, don’t blame FTJ for everything. In reality, FTJ dilly-dallied on the privitisation of ZCCM, it was Levy who went full throttle and hosted Vedanta at state house for the KCM deal. MMD where conored even before the came to power to sell Zambia’s assets as soon as they got funding from imperialists to fight KK, no wonder KK spoke of demagogues in 1991. Privitisation was inevitable no matter what. We allowed the fox in the henhouse the minute we cried “the hour”. PF is actually the remedy.
The imperialists hoodwinked the government with fake modelling which I do not believe in and threatened not to fund the government. Kafupi gave in and decided to privatize and to his credit, he refused to sell ZCCM as a whole and decided to unbundle it. unfortunately, he appointed thieves who undervalued the mines and the Government came out with Zero while them chaps became instant billionaires in kwacha terms.
If we as a country need to recover, lets have a commission of Inquiry on privatization before the old guards with data pass on.
If indeed it’s true that Mopani mine was run & managed efficiently & at low cost when it had Mr. Emmanuel Mutati as its Chief Executive Officer, why did it go belly up and Glencore had to come to the rescue? Just because Mutati was giving Chimbwili contracts doesn’t make him good!