Central Province Permanent Secretary, Milner Mwanakampwe has challenged the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) to improve its operations in view of the support the railway company has recently received from the government.

Mr Mwanakampwe said the government has cleared the debt in form of salary and pension arrears that TAZARA was grappling with to ensure that the company operates smoothly.

” You are aware colleagues that TAZARA was in arrears starting from the time the New Dawn administration took over the government. His Excellency the President saw it necessary that first of all he needed to attend to the retirees and secondly finish the arrears that you were grappling with. So, it calls for you now to double your efforts in terms of input and performance,” Mr Mwanakampwe said.

Mr Mwanakampwe said this when he toured the TAZARA exhibition stand at the Kapiri Mposhi District Agricultural and Commercial Show.

He stated that there is need for TAZARA to be operationally sound as the railway company is strategic to the actualisation of the government’s desire to remove heavy cargo from the road to the railway in order to preserve the lifespan of roads in the country.

” You are aware that President Hichilema is a proponent of removing heavy cargo from the road to the rail because that’s the only way we are going to preserve the lifespan of the roads. We are praying that when cargo is given to TAZARA you will not sleep on duty but work tenaciously. Both TAZARA and Zambia Railways should be able to haul the cargo that will be given to them,” Mr Mwanakampwe said.

But TAZARA Head Commercial, Sydney Bwali informed the Permanent Secretary that the railway company has ventured into other enterprises such as quarrying, production of farm implements and building materials and is currently running a construction unit to augment its revenue base to improve its operations.

Mr Bwali explained that the additional enterprises are helping in sustaining operations at the railway company.

” We are a transporting company but apart from that we also have other business units. We have a quarry at Mununga where we produce quarry products, we also have workshops in Mpika where we produce various farming implements and building materials and we also have a construction unit and right now we are in Eastern Province where we repair bridges,” Mr Bwali said.

Mr Bwali disclosed that the railway company is in the process of hiring six more locomotives to increase its haulage capacity and respond to the government’s call of removing heavy cargo from the road to the railway.

Meanwhile, Mr Bwali commended the government for bailing-out TAZARA with funding to dismantle salary arrears and payment of outstanding pension benefits to its former employees.

He explained that due to government’s intervention, TAZARA is now current in the payment of workers’ salaries.

” We want to thank the government for coming on board to assist TAZARA in terms of dismantling salary arrears and outstanding pension benefits to the former workers and operational costs,” Mr Bwali said.

Recently the government released K72 million to clear outstanding retirement benefits to former workers at the TAZARA.

Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has shut down its Nchanga Copper Smelter in Chingola for 21 days following a molten metal leakage incident from one of the furnaces.

In a media statement, KCM Plc Provisional Liquidator Ms Celine Nair stated that no loss of life or injuries to employees was recorded during the incident which occurred on Monday.

She said the shutdown period will be used to conduct repairs to the furnace, before commencing system heating-up to restart the processing plant.

Below is the full statement

Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM) informs business partners and stakeholders that the Nchanga smelter, which is operated by its subsidiary, KCM SmelterCo Limited has been shut down to facilitate repair works following a molten metal leakage from one of the furnaces.

There was no loss of life or injuries to employees during the incident. Around 07:30 hours on Monday, 26th June 2023, furnace parameters as read by the operator from the distributed control system (DCS), showed signs of metal leak. All employees were immediately evacuated to safety before the metal leak in line with protocols implemented at the Nchanga smelter, which worked well.

The area was then barricaded to ensure safety and the KCM Fire Department was alerted about the incident.

KCM Plc Provisional Liquidator Ms Celine Nair stated that “KCM has now commenced a 21-day smelter shutdown to repair the Flash Smelting Furnace (FSF), and eventually stabilize smelter operations. The shutdown period will be used to conduct repairs to the furnace, before commencing system heating-up to restart the processing plant.”

During this period, the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Enock Mponda, added that KCM will rely on acid from the 500-tonnes-per day acid plant at Nchanga operations to feed the Tailings Leach Plant (TLP) for copper processing, and procure additional acid in order to plug the gap of acid production from the smelter.

Issued by Shapi Shachinda – General Manager Corporate Affairs

The government has announced that the temporary shortage of fuel in Kitwe, which has inconvenienced residents, will be resolved within the next two days. Ministry of Information and Media Director Spokesperson, Thabo Kawana, confirmed that Indeni Energy Company Limited would intentionally increase the supply of petrol to Oil Marketing Companies in Kitwe.

Expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to Kitwe residents, Mr. Kawana assured the public that the government is taking swift action to address the issue. He also urged Oil Marketing Companies to ensure they have sufficient petrol stocks and emphasized the government’s commitment to monitoring their operations.

The Oil Marketing Companies Association of Zambia attributed the ongoing fuel shortage in some parts of the Copperbelt to thin profit margins against the cost of importing the product, which has made it currently unattractive for these businesses, causing a slowdown in supply.

Some Kitwe residents voiced their concerns, calling on the government to closely monitor the activities of Oil Marketing Companies to ensure an adequate supply of petrol. Chilufya Mushota, a motorist who was among those queuing for petrol, expressed confusion as to why Kitwe specifically faced a shortage while the rest of the country had sufficient petrol stocks.

In response to these concerns, Ministry of Information and Media Director Spokesperson, Thabo Kawana, visited various filling stations in Kitwe to assess the fuel situation, particularly with regard to petrol. During his visit, he assured residents and stakeholders that the situation would improve. Indeni Energy Limited Company has increased its supply of petrol to the Oil Marketing Companies, and by Thursday or Friday, the situation is expected to normalize.

The Zambia Chamber of Mines (ZCM), an association that represents the Mining and Allied industry congratulates the Republican President, His Excellency , Mr.
Hakainde Hichilema and Zambia’s Finance Minister Honourable Situmbeko Musokotwane for the successful renegotiation of the sovereign official bilateral debt
under the G20 framework.

In commending the outcome, Chamber of Mines President, Dr Godwin Beene, stated that this agreement opens doors to further progress in availing the Zambian Treasury
more room to apply resources to the restoration of broad economic growth to levels that spur tangible development at all levels. The agreement also sets in motion the process of availing Zambian businesses access to fairly priced capital as underscored by the Head of State.

The Chamber President applauded the steadfast resolve that the Government leadership has demonstrated in getting to this hard-won milestone.

“This access will come about as global perceptions correct to align with the confidence that the Chamber membership and wider local mining industry has that
the new dawn government will continue to deliver on its commitment to availing an optimal investment environment over time.” Dr Beene said.

President Hakainde Hichilema has urged Luapula Hydro Energy and ZESCO to work together to ensure that the Kalungwishi Hydro Power Station in Luapula Province reaches its full potential. During a meeting with traditional leaders from Luapula province, President Hichilema emphasized the need for both parties to share the same agenda and unlock the power station’s capabilities, which will have a positive impact on Luapula Province.

President Hichilema emphasized that the Kalungwishi Hydro Power Station is one of the plants that will contribute to increased power generation, aligning with the government’s agenda to generate surplus power. He expressed concern that despite Luapula Province’s abundant resources for hydro generation, it cannot fully utilize its manganese processing capacity due to insufficient power supply.

The president acknowledged the shared interest between the government and traditional leaders in the province to see the power plant fully operational. He called for a change in work culture and a proactive approach to transactions, highlighting that the country has made progress in restructuring its debt, which previously hindered development.

President Hichilema emphasized that with the debt restructured, the positive impact on the economy would become evident. However, he warned that he would exercise his constitutional powers to ensure the project’s realization if the relevant ministries and institutions fail to act.

In response to the president’s directive, Energy Minister Peter Kapala has been tasked with organizing a meeting between key players, including Lufubu Hydro Power Company, to discuss the way forward for the Kalungwishi Hydro Power Project. Minister Kapala expressed confidence that the meeting would lead to a resolution after years of delay.

Among the traditional leaders present at the meeting were House of Chiefs Chairperson Chief Chisunka, Senior Chief Nkula (representing Paramount Chief Chitimukulu), Chief Mushota, Chief Mumpolokoso, and a representative of Mwata Kazembe, Prince Kazagambayo.