Professor Clive Chirwa, renowned engineer and academic, has submitted a detailed opposition to the proposed sale of Mopani Copper Mines PLC shares during the upcoming ZCCM-IH Extraordinary General Meeting scheduled for 23rd February 2024 at 10:00hrs.
In his submission, Professor Chirwa vehemently opposes the proposal put forth by International Resources Holding RSC Limited to purchase 51% shares of Mopani for US$1.1 billion. Instead, he advocates for the retention of Mopani under 100% ownership by ZCCM-IH Plc, proposing a comprehensive plan for the revival of the mining company.
Highlighting his extensive experience as an engineer and his recent visit to Mopani’s Mufulira division, Professor Chirwa expressed dismay at the deteriorating state of the company and emphasized the need for national interest-driven regeneration efforts.
Contrary to claims that financial constraints are hindering Mopani’s revival, Professor Chirwa argued that the company possesses adequate funds within its current monetary framework to address its challenges. He presented calculations illustrating the potential revenue generation through increased production and value addition, emphasizing the profitability of retaining Mopani as a Zambian-owned entity.
Professor Chirwa’s proposal focuses on leveraging Mopani’s production capabilities to capture a significant share of the African market for copper wire, which presents a lucrative opportunity for revenue generation. He emphasized the importance of adopting a business model centered around mining, value addition, and sales to maximize profits and national benefits.
Concluding his submission, Professor Chirwa adamantly declared his opposition to the sale of Mopani shares, citing the company’s considerable wealth and potential for growth. He urged Mopani to prioritize collaboration with Zambian stakeholders to achieve production targets and enhance value addition, emphasizing the message: “Mopani Not For Sale!”
I completely agree with Dr Chirwa. Keep Mopani under ZCCM. Retaining assets under our control is the only way we will be able to repay our debts.
Sale the thing, Zambians can’t ran a mine, they steal even their personal shovels.
Sell sell sell
Fools withn the system will disagree to this great proposition.
Here we go again will we never learn of our short comings
So lets lobby for ZCCM to retain 100% so they can get on with it
and see what happens ? A lesson we have to be taught
Clive Chirwa is right, and this is what we told Edgar Lungu. Many Zambians want to see a reduced foreign ownership of large businesses. Unfortunately what drives decisions by those in charge are short-term and narrow interests. They have even decided how they’ll disburse and hide commissions they’ll make at the expense of the nation. I don’t know which god they worship
We have zambian managers and directors who have kept the mines aflot and even when these mines are retained, i know we can do it and production can be revamped and increased,but what we is mwandi kayaaaa ……
We have zambian managers and directors who have kept the mines aflot and even when these mines are retained, i know we can do it and production can be revamped and increased,but what we is mwandi kayaaaa …… i support the prof.
I equally agree with Prof Chriwa, well said and well articulated.
We as Zambians can do it, we have the ability let’s believe in ourselves and get the job done.
Copperbelt Energy is an one example of a majority Zambian owned business and it is doing well. The same can happen with Mopani under Zambian ownership.
The problem with Chiirwa is that he is too theoretical . What he he says and teaches remain on paper . The other time he visited the Zmbia Railways and came up with an apparent good and detailed report, which attracted the attention of the government and appointed him as in charge of the Zambia Railways with a great hope of have it revamped . but he totally failed and things became worse. EVEN this time , i can just using theories of manipulation so that he can deceive the government and finally be appointed as chief executive pin. Otherwise don’t allow clever Kalulus to disturb your plans that have already started bearing fruits
Awe, the problem with Prof Chirwa is that his thinking is way beyond a muzungu but because he is covered in his black skin, we fail to see what he can see. He is on another level and it only takes people with the knowledge and wisdom to understand him. Zambians only understand how to give problems and not on how to solve them.
Imwe bantu bamene muchita criticise ma Universities and their graduates with the cliche “theoretical” you speak nonsense. That is what Universities are made for. They cant be technical colleges or craftsmen’s colleges. They have to indulge in theories because its from theories that you make blueprints and these blue prints direct or guide the required skills or manual labour. When you expect an academic to singlehandedly bring to life his hypothetical model your expectations are off target. Respect the Universities for what they are and the technical colleges for what they are. Division of labour also means division of expectations
@Awee I don’t entirely agree with your point, I think revamping of Zambia Railways had its own issues. At the time that Professor Chirwa was deployed, they were cabinet ministers who had an interest in the transport industry and clenched deals with the Mines to transport copper concentrates and all, so ZR became a threat to their business.
Zccm-ih has failed to run Kansenseli and you think they can run Mopani? Zccm-ih is a tattered shell of it’s predecessor company zccm Ltd. Add political interference and the end result is a complete mess. How long did Dolika Banda last? 3 months? Why? Also as some rightly said what happened to the Eurobond money and your vision for Zambia Railways where you were CEO? Now we are in default for those debts!!
Chirwa, you are wasting you time. We have a president who likes selling things. He sold the mines for pocket change during privatization. Now he has come back to sale what remained for kickbacks.
Be positive for the sack of generations to come, malice is easy and fun to produce. Dont stifle the conversation. Why can’t you say Mr President have heard what the Prof is suggesting and seriouly seek a response from him.
As a driver I am sure you are familiar with “blind spots,” you don’t choose to have them!
I concern with Prof. We must start by looking inwardsl for locally breed solutions especially when it comes to managing our natural resources. Be it in terms of funding, value addition, or marketing. Why can’t we have most of our building materials, tools, accessories, and kitchen utensils made locally? Why have kids stopped making wires car’s, which could “spring” them into car designing and assembling. Well, I would go further and make it mandatory that the school of mines and other stakeholders should have a stake in these mines. So that, their the curriculum and activities are in tune with the sector’s needs in terms of provision of skills, value addition… Which are critical to increasing GDP and improving our standard of living.
I totally concur with Prof Chirwa. Somebody like he at the helm will motivate the technocrats like myself by just asking the pertinint questions. I’ve worked in Zambia for 16 years, in 2 stints. I saw the up-and-down cycles of ZCCM. At a time when the copper price was $1,200/tonne, we still broke even. Some life saving innovations were:
***Floating copper using used engine oil instead of Xanthate
***Making screens from used conveyor belts
***Using cassava starch as a substitute for flocculant
WE CAN MAKE THE MINES RUN PROFITABLY!!!!!
I think it’s important to listen to the views of those opposing an idea of selling the shares. My concern really is for those in the seats of power. Will they listen to the Professor’s advice or suggestions?? Everyone says our President doesn’t listen to advice. But I still say why doesn’t he?? Let’s wait and see.
It has already been sold by the country’s chief sales man. He has already got his commission and the rest is history.
These are assets which are making the so called harvesters wealthy while you wallow in poverty. Listen for once, Zambia has never benefited from natural resources being owned by foreign entities. Let them own things like shopping malls, trains, airlines, hospitals but not our natural resources. The Arabs are doing it, why can’t we do it too? Review the fake economics you learn from school because we all know this world has never been equal. Those who don’t understand should ask themselves why a country like Zambia can fail to pay a few billions of dollars when it has trillions under it’s belly?
A clarion call to EIZ,UNZA School of mines relevant technocrats, Chamber of mines, what’s your take. Here is an opportunity to look inwards for a solution to our troubled mining sector
Problem we have in Zambia, is that we don’t learn from past mistakes. KK meant well, nationalized Copper mines and introduced Zambianaization, I think the lessons & results are there to be seen.We should not do same things and expect different results. GRZ can not run the mines and full stop
Pat..KKs project ended with disastrous consequence.
That’s what they would like you to believe. No one ever told you that what crippled Zambia was our unwavering support to free our neighbours and not the Kaunda policies. Zambia was crippled by illegal sanctions just like Zimbabwe. The oppress0rs make sure they re-write your history too so that you continue to make the same mistakes. I bet you also believe saddam had weapons of mass destructi0n?
This thief is still alive
No wonder someone said educated people are stupid. Too much talking and no action. Our Prof failed lamentably at ZR. Here he is pretending to have an idea on how to run a mine. Start by running Kasenseli and then talk of a big mine like Mopani. Just accept that you have no capital to inject in such a project. You chaps in diaspora enjoy talking and doing nothing. Why can’t you organize yourselves and come home to run it if you can? This thing has been idle for some time now and no wonder our economy is so fragile to even with stand small external shocks.
What nonsense u write
There are ceartain assets zambians cant run themselves……….
Big Mines, railways…….even that kk international airport, the airport is out pricesing itself, it is too expensive to do any business there, that is why it is almost empty.
Its sad but true………
However we persevere………
……
Just look at the case of TAZARA………
this is a railway line to literally print money……
The cargo traffic on zambia Tanzania Road is phenomenally high……….
Yet this railway line has failed………
How can you fail to make this thing work ??
Just let the Chinese or indians run tazara, we have failed.
………
We need to pay a visit to the painfull analysis of why we fail to run conglomerates as Zambians……
Every body is dodging this topic……….
Can we have the columnists to LT open up a discussion on the painfully truth and necessary topic ????
One can add……corruption , poor work ethic……there are many, but……
I think the solution or the problem lies in our primary school education……….
Most of our problems like littering, cholera outbreaks , corruption , poor work ethic must be addressed at primary school
PF deal with Glencore, left Mopani with a debt of $1.5 billion.
Zambia has a national debt of $32 billon.
You need to sale those Mopani shares to clear out the debt
I don’t think selling of shares is the best option. If something is able to be sold then it has some value in itself and the buyer sees an attainment of a profit at the end of the day. The afforsaid is true for MCM. I also wish to expel beliefs from certain quarters that Zambians can not run the mines. ZCCM was run holy by Zambians and obviously there has been lessons learnt other wise it was a successful story. People go into business because they want to make money, it’s for the same reasons that GRZ would want to go into it, in lay man’s language
@ Independent, let’s try to go past this hurdle, let’s be futuristic, there’s always a solution to every problem. You can’t always keep looking back if and when you want to go forward.
The professor seems to have a point. Zambians are obsessed with giving away their resources for free and then standing with a begging bowl asking for crumbs. If we can not run those mines close them down and perhaps our children in future will have the brains to run them profitably. That is what Qaddafi told the west when they could not give favorable terms for Libyan resources. They will mine the ores and then damage the environment and leave us with empty bags. Wake up
It’s sounds nice to talk about owning and running a mine but which mine has Zambia run successfully and profitably?? Just point me to 1?
It won’t be long before theft,mismanagement, nepotism and cheap politics run it down.
We may have the capacity to run it but are too petty and love pleasure over serious work.
Let others run it and let’s tax them properly.
That is why we need to run a discussion as to why we constantly fail……….
as a nation to run big critically important companies…….
This is a very painfull reality that needs to be addressed……….
Even a commission if enquiry is suitable for this topic…….
Why we talking about a good thing to be bad,Mr professor ‘mind your own business,
If Clive chirwa thinks he knows how to make a go of Mopani then why doesn’t he put his money where his mouth is and form a consortium and bid for the same. He would rather experiment with GRZ funds than his own so that if things don’t work out according to plan he loses nothing.
But why should he use his money when our constitution says that any minerals found anywhere are property of GRZ? GRZ should find the money, train the people and let them benefit from their own resources. That’s what ZIMCO did and that’s how Zambia survived on it’s own during hard times. I’m sure Chirwa himself is a product of ZIMCO.
The Mopani story with Arab money and a significant stake for ZCCM-IH will be a success story that will embarrass many.
I know Clive Chirwa is a fraud but i agree with him 100% on this issue
FUTUREZED, YOU MISSED THE POINT AND THE DISCUSSION WAS NOT OVER THE ROLES OF UNIVERSITIES, BUT ON INDIVIDUAL, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO JUST COME WITH SWEET TALKS ACADEMICALLY WIT HIDDEN AGENDAS OF WINNING EXECUTIVE POSITION, WHN THEY ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THEY ARE JUST THEORETICAL AND NOT LMPLEMENTERS. CHITALA ALSO DID THE SAME, HE CNVINCED THE GOVERNMENT AND WAS APPOINTED CEO, BUT FAILED AND WENT BACK TO OFFER THEORIES AT THE UNIVERSITY
Zambians had an opportunity to prove they can ran Mopani proftably since ZCCMIH took over Glencore shares. How many contractors have been working and how much Copper has been produced. Zambia has technorates who can ran the mines, but dont have the bone to stand on prefessionalism when confronted with unhealthy political influence. When GRZ rans it, it will be owned by “All zambians”, BUT only a handful benefit!
So this silly clown is still busy howling like a wolf in the wilderness? This guy is a fraud, he knows nothing and for all I know he is a Malawian. We lived with him in the UK and I always knew him as Malawian but was shocked when he resurfaced in Zambia as a Zambian. He is actually the late Malawian opposition leader Orton Chirwa’s nephew.
If the question here is do we have the money as Zambia to recapitalize the mines, if the answer is no, then the option, we have is to partner with an investor for the time being. For Prof I have some questions why he failed to run Zambia Railways under PF if he is a good manager. People, please take note reading books and practice are not the same.
These same professors are the one letting us down, for example we have now drought no rain, if they warned the farmers way back in Sept 2023 that we will not have enough rain and the option was to plant early maturing plants today we could not even talk about hunger.
That is why personally I do not trust these philosophers.
well said peace maker, and am sure the current leadership has to forge as planned to revamp the mining industry. some of so called professors , constitutional lawyers, doctors, don’t have nation at heart , they are no longer national assets because take all the others as dull , not learned, but only themselves in their individual capacities as most intelligent persons fit highest positions in the nation . in so doing they have ……in the eyes of the wise , and therefore not worth to be national positions that need team working and valuing each other