China Non Ferrous Metal Company (CNMC)’s Luanshya Copper Mines ( LCM) deputy Chief Executive Officer, Robert Kamanga says his company is considering to shut down mining activities at its Baluba shaft in 2022.
Mr Kamanga says the LCM had exhausted all copper deposits at the mine, hence the decision to close mining activities at the end of next year, but that the company is critically looking at other possibilities for both immediate and future mining activities.
Baluba mine is (CNMC) LCM’s largest employer in the district with about 3000 employees whose jobs hang in the balance once the mine closed down.
Mr Kamanga disclosed this when United Party for National Development (UPND) Luanshya Constituency Member of Parliament Lusale Simbao alongside his Independent Roan counterpart Joel Chibuye , engaged CLM Management to consider the re-opening of shaft 28 and the possible revitalization of the sports complex in a bid to create jobs and revive the district economy.
“ The company is undertaking explorative works and we will open up alternative mines before the closure of Baluba to an Open-Pit mine, very close to Baluba mines of which Mashiba mine is one of the possible mine to commence mining activities within the course of this year or sometime next year and that should be able to accommodate some of our current work force working at Baluba mines, “ said Mr Kamaga.
And Mr Chibuye said together with his fellow lawmaker was on a mission to see how best they could work together to revive the economy not only in Luanshya but the nation as a whole after shaft 28 re-opens.
“ Basically our mission is to engage the mines as an investor to see how best we can work together to revive our economy through the reopening of shaft 28, the people of Roan are calling on LCM to open shaft 28, the information that the people hold in the community is that Shaft 28 is viable and can run up to 20 to 25 years meaning it would create jobs for the local people, hence our visit to engage the mines on that possibility and understand facts, ” Mr Chibuye said .
The Lawmaker further observed that the re-opening of 28 Shaft would translate in the creation of jobs and contribute immensely to economic recovery.
But Mr Kamanga said while his management agree to the concerns raised by the duo, there was need to deal with the matter carefully as the shaft 28 was usually flooded.
“Yes we are aware that 28 shaft has copper ore that can be mined out, but we are treading very carefully and studying the environment as you are aware that Shaft 28 is flooded so we want to start with mining what is on top as an Open-Pit mine and once we exhaust it, we will backfill the open pits and that is when we can consider reopening 28 shaft, ” he said.
In response the lawmakers jointly appealed to the LCM management not to lay off any workers but to instead expedite their studies and open up new mining sites to absorb the employees at Baluba mine.
“ We don’t want them to lay off any employees let them quickly open Mushiba mine and expedite their studies and open Shaft 28 as well, my prayer as MP is that with all things being equal let them transfer the workforce to the new mines and that will help to transfer the current workforce to the new mines, ” Mr Chibuye in particular, noted.
Mr Chibuye further noted as indicated by President Hakainde Hichilema during his address during the official opening of parliament, the UPND Alliance administration was determined to see all Zambian citizens benefit from the mineral wealth.
“ In the case of Luanshya district, we can also benefit from the creation of jobs through the opening of Shaft 28 , of course apart from the creation of manufacturing industries such as ZAMEFA, ” he said .
And Luanshya parliamentarian Lusale Simbao presented a partnership proposal for the rehabilitation and utilization of the Roan Antelope Recreation Center to LCM for consideration to spur the district economy and create jobs.
The document which was structured into an infrastructure rehabilitation proposal, sustainability proposal and a project funding model will see the revitalization of the dilapidated sports complex and allow the mines to run sport as a business.
“You can agree with me that the absence of such amenities have resulted in various social concerns such as youth unemployment and lawlessness which we have witnessed in the recent past due to lack of employment and recreation among the youths, and adopting this route of taking sport as a business can create jobs through the utilization of non-skilled and semi- skilled contractors who will run the facilities on behalf of the mines” he explained.
Before you talk opening No28 shaft find out the reasons why it was closed in first place. After closing was a care and maintenance plan put in place. From my experience reopening a shaft like no 28 would be more expensive than starting a new mine because after almost thirty years of inactivity, the installations have rotten making the mine a hazard. Re equipping would pose major challenges. Besides shaft production system is now out of fashion. Miners prefer open cast or portal mining which allows for bulk tracking of the ore.
Mopani has made a profit as a Parastatal so can this mine. Haven’t we learnt anything leaving the mines in the hands of foreigners or individuals?
Once the ores reserves are depleted, that is the end of mining operations. Finito. We have zccm-ih who as an investment company should have been investing in resource companies, so that as old mines close, new can be opened up. But they choose to invest in a loss making bank, inflated real estate and actually ran Ndola Lime into the ground. I don’t know whether this due to political interference, gross incompetence or downright criminality/Kleptocracy
You and your chinese can pack and go….. the AMERICANS are coming.
The Baluba mine was in the past the many stay of the mining activities in the town of Luanshya, and certainly the closure of that mine will to a larger extent affect the economic activities of the town despite other options.
Business and politics are mutually exclusive, the prima goal of any business is to break-even and make the needed profits. Politician on the other hand are looking for the survival of the people. It is not the responsibility of business to create employment to the people no but to make the necessary returns out of the investment.
This is what makes the ZCCM to stop being a going concern due to political interferences.
The clear cut must be drawn between business and politics.
In closing let the purpose of business be the generation of profits not the…
Pilato there we go again. We have brains enough to run these companies profitably if they are run professionally without undue external influence. Mopani has just made a profit despite having a kleptocratic regime in power. Those profits will remain in Zambia to improve our welfare. This way we wont need wind fall taxes or mineral royalty taxes. Chile is a developed country because they run most of their mining firms professionally and the government takes what’s is due to it’s people. We just have to believe in our selves and ensure no thieves are allowed access or undue political influence period.
Unfortunately people were promised the opening of a certain shaft by candidates of the political parties that took part in the elections. #5 Kenneth has effectively explained what mining is all about… money not welfare period.
Are we expecting 3000 more jobless people in Lwanshya , this is just a repeat of the Lwanshya misfortunes