Copperbelt residents have called on President Hakainde Hichilema to make a quick decision regarding the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and Mopani Copper Mines, both of which have been facing challenges. This comes after the previous government placed KCM under liquidation, leading to hardships for many Copperbelt residents who depended on the mines for their livelihoods.
Residents from various districts in Copperbelt demanded that the government take action to boost the economy of the Copperbelt and the country as a whole. The residents claimed that returning KCM to Vedanta Resources, the former owner of the mine, would be a step in the right direction as the asset needs recapitalization.
Church leaders in Kitwe echoed these sentiments, stating that the challenges faced by the mines have resulted in adverse poverty for local people. Pastor Charles Chileshe noted that prostitution and divorces are skyrocketing on the Copperbelt because people don’t have any source of income as the mines are not performing accordingly.
Many youths are also engaging in illicit activities because of a lack of employment opportunities, said Sydney Banda from Mufulira. Mary Phiri from Wusakile, Kitwe, added that people on the Copperbelt depend on mines for survival, and since many of them have lost jobs, life has been harsh for them.
Kitwe-based clergyman Pastor Simon Kiboko appealed to the government to open up the mining sites to improve the country’s economy. “Even us as the church, we are affected knowing too well that the sources of income for the people have been affected hence the need for the government to act fast on this matter,” he said.
The residents are still waiting for the government’s promise to find a solution to the problem in the first quarter of 2023. Christopher Nkhata from Chililabombwe said the people of Copperbelt are eagerly waiting for the government’s decision.
The residents hope that President Hichilema will ensure that the Minister in charge speeds up the process of making the mines productive again. With the Copperbelt’s economy heavily dependent on mining, the residents believe that the government must act fast to revive the struggling mines to improve the livelihoods of the people in the region.
Zambians have themselves to Blame. They voted a vengeful childish president who undid all the good things we did out of spite. Now Zambians are crying for a return to what they had under pf. You have realised your mistakes f00Iish Zambians.
Our long term plan was to slowly commence an indigenization programme like the mugabe one to give you Zambians control over these mines. Buy you f00Iishy voted in a guy who sold our nation companies for peanuts to become a millionaire
#Zulu Caesar
This dude is mostly misunderstood. I think he nailed it this time.
Zambianisation OMG
We doomed
I can believe this ever lying revisionist,hypocrite and fraud KZ got so many up-votes for deceit .Yikes, Zambians wake up.
Let those with eyes and brains get the message. The only ones against my comment are those living abroad comfortably under whlte people whilst you Zambians who were persuaded to vote for crooked hh continue to suffer. Don’t be f00led by these external diasporan agents
What is he going to tell you? Nothing. Lest you have forgotten, Vedanta didn’t invest in KCM but reaped what he didn’t show. He got the mine for free by paying for the it from the profits that he made from the same mine.
Mopani is an old fashioned mine which a modern miner can not venture into.
Of course the man you are asking doesn’t know anything about practical mining.
We have a capable team at Mopani which only needs support and we’ll see a change for the better.
It’s not easy to comment knowledgeably on Mopani Copper Mines without reading the Glencore-ZCCM-IH agreement that the PF and Eric Silwamba bequeathed Zambia. It’s a pity that the media and mineworkers unions have not requested or demanded to see it. KCM is a legal issue. We are stuck with the Indian tycoon who controls it. Add to that HH’s people’s bungling of the Milingo Lungu affair and you have a legal minefield beyond the Minister of Mines Paul Kabuswe no matter what his pretensions are.
#Gunner… your man was in South Africa for some book launch. While there he assured the nation that the KCM issue had been sorted. Kabuswe like an obedient child went all the way to try to convince us to accept the Indian back in Chingola. The whole story is murky and your man is just as ordinary as the next person. He’s not a god.
Deja Vu you started alright but then you went into character assisination of Hakainde. You have clearly stated that Mopani is an old mine which does not make it a viable investment to any foreign entity. This is why Glencore hoodwinked Lazy Lungu and PF who against advise to appease the electorate decided to accept a raw deal…but no no you wont say that. What is this capacable team going to do when whatever they are mining goes to paying Glencore and running the mine? Were you not the same chaps clapping here on LT that Zambia is taking back the mines?
As far as company law is concerned, the Indian tycoon remains the controlling shareholder. I detest him too but that doesn’t matter. The most Zambia can do as a state party to the KCM issue is to negotiate a new agreement. That is only possible if the PF-induced liquidation is concluded by taking it out of court. By attaching what lawyers call a certificate of urgency because there’s a country whose peace needs to be maintained, the matter can be given priority hearing in court.
#Tarino Orange… sorry about that. When mines were bought these guys didn’t fire us but made maximum use of our skills. These skills are still there and all what Mr Hakainde needs is to invite these Zambians who are taking care of these facilities and ask them what government would do for them in order to make these mines viable. Not just making pronouncements during the so-called working visits.
The president has folded his hands waiting for Paris Club to do maths for him. He was lied to that the IMF loan would give Zambia automatic leverage on debt realignment. Shame. No one currently wants to invest in Zambia in its current form, a sovereign defaulter. Hichilema has failed us by failing to travel to China for a good deal. No one is prepared to say any tangled story about KCM or Mopani.
There is so much secrecy. Even out of court, KCM is a failed story, while Vedanta still holds firm on it.
And depending on the dollar is now a fallacy. The dollar is no longer a ruler of the world. The Gulf States lead by Saudi Arabia will be selling oil to China in Chinese currency and so will Russia. So the IMF dollar is more ore less impotent.
Not yet Deja Vu. These Americans and their henchmen in Europe have been in this Imperialist war for too long, they know how to throw their punches. They love economic enslavement of the world. However, latest developments are that China and India are currently the biggest buyers of Russian oil.
And Vendanta charm offensive is in full gear now paying off all these church leaders to bark louder making it easier for the govt to bring back Anil Agarwal and his clan from Mumbai…these are the same morons who were dancing when Lazy Lungu took over KCM through the back door when he would have done it legally but his State House advisers were hell bent to light their pockets and beef up PF coffers for 2021. All that money they were dishing out to queuing people had to come from somewhere.
Don’t listen to this wayward child KZ ,he thinks we forgot the dark days of PF ill governance ,rotten indebtedness and hopelessness.
Don’t bring Vedanta back. People know the truth and it might be hurting.
No the mine does not legally belong to Vendetta. He’s gone to court so that he can legally reclaim his right to ownership. Otherwise if it was not so Kabuswe and Mr Hakainde would have not been wasting time pleading with the residents to allow Vedanta to come back. He would have simply walked back in the plant.