Friday, March 29, 2024

Government should look at the business aspect of KCM when resolving the disputed ownership

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Caritas Zambia Chingola Coordinator Eugene Mulenga has said the New Dawn Government should look at the business aspect of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) when resolving the disputed ownership.

Mr. Mulenga said it won’t help KCM operations if the Government takes long to make a decision concerning the planned unlocking of the mining firm.

He said at the moment it is difficult to sustain KCM operations due to lack of capital injection.

“We do understand that the government wants to take a very conscious approach when making a decision on KCM but I also want to say that this is a business and a decision should be made as such! A decision will have to be made, whether wrong or right whatever the outcome, we shall say it’s the UPND delayed or not! Now, we are all in agreement that so many things went wrong before the liquidation process and a decision was made which has resulted in a procrastinating court process. For over three years now no tangible results have been achieved,” Mr. Mulenga said.

“The question is for how long are we going to wait? And are we able to sustain the cost of operations for the mine? I want to urge the government to quickly look at this matter, not from a political point of view which is a popular view but from business lenses which require business decisions to be made. The long it takes to make a decision the more liabilities we create. In all honesty, for how long can we sustain the mining operations at KCM in the trajectory? I personally think the government does not need to wait for people’s opinions on this matter but make a business decision that can help sustain the operations at KCM and save the mine from totally collapsing, it better we save it now than wait for some investors who have not even put anything on the table,” he said.

Mr. Mulenga reiterated that the issue of KCM should not be politicised.

“We can’t hope for something we cannot realistically see, the issue is that we have Vedanta Resources on the plate now, ready to talk and legally owning KCM by majority shareholding, for three years now we have failed to resolve this matter in court! For how long can we manage court processes, costs and adjournments? And since now they have realized all the issues that we have been talking about and shown commitment to addressing those concerns, with the new government in place, I want to appeal to you my dear friends to trust the leadership of the government of President Hakainde Hichilema in addressing this matter and politics aside,” Mr. Mulenga said.

He added that the Government should negotiate a good deal for the Zambian people bearing in mind that citizens are watching.

“Dear colleagues, however you look at this issue, the one thing you must realize is that there was leadership in place at the time when things went bad at KCM and the issues are not lack of government institutions to monitor but bad political leadership that interfered in the work of all these institutions. We have ZDA, ZEMA, MSD, ZRA, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Mines and ZCCM-IH as minority shareholders etc . Where were all these institutions during all the time? I suggest we give the current Government a chance to prove their worth and see if they cannot negotiate for a better deal for the Zambian people knowing full well that they shall be judged by the Zambian people at some point. May God grant us wisdom, be blessed,” Mr. Mulenga said.

4 COMMENTS

  1. You need a proper, honest and non political assessment of the viability of this mine and reach the best way to turn it round. It may even mean closing some units temporarily or permanently.
    Political expediency shouldn’t be part of solution finding.

  2. Government should this and that. yapa yapa wara wara nfyo nfyo. Thereafter what should also do to develop zambia sir? You are almost 80yrs & you spent 40yrs in different Universities and yet still looking for a job. What are you going to advice someone that owned his own business at 25? To make matteres worse u ve been studying on GRZ bursaries, shdnt that money have sponsored 40 other young people each year x40yrs thats 1200 university Graduates. Which am sure the person you trying to advise has more than 5000 employees, and today. Some advisers – awe mwe!

    • For your information Eugine Mulenga is very young and very handsome. He’s very professional. He’s not the old man you see in the picture.

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