Chibuluma mine  lifespan about to expire

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 12:33:26 +0000

By ROGERS KALERO

CHIBULUMA Mine PLC has just about four years before its lifespan expires and is hoping that it could find a greenfield mine to develop before the expiry date of the old mine, board chairman and country manager Jackson Sikamo has announced.

More than 800 workers are expected to lose jobs if the lifespan of Chibuluma Mining Company comes to an end in the next four years.

Speaking yesterday when Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma visited the mine, Mr Sikamo said Chibuluma mine, which is owned by Metorex, a subsidiary of Jinchuan Group of Companies, would like to increase its footprint in Zambia through expansion and acquisition of joint ventures.

“Chibuluma South and Chifupu resources would be mined out by 2019 and Chifupu resources would be mined out in 2021. More than 800 workers would lose jobs if the lifespan of the mine comes to an end. We have 333 direct employees of Chibuluma Mine PLC and 565 outsourced contractors. We would like to increase our footprints in Zambia through expansion and acquisition of joint ventures,” Mr Sikamo said.

He said the company had spent US$319 million on exploration from December 2010 to 2016 and had also been spending significant amounts of money on corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.

And Mr Yaluma said he was impressed with the performance of Chibuluma mine, especially on safety and adherence to the country’s labour laws.

Mr Yaluma said since Chibuluma mine had expressed interest to expand its footprint in Zambia, Government would work hard to ensure that a greenfield mine was found for it to develop and continue its mining activities and contribute to job creation in the country.

He said Chibuluma, unlike some other mines which he said had been problematic, had tried to maintain a good safety record and had been paying tax to the Government.

“As Government, we value safety. Safety is cardinal in any working environment. The employee base is also a good indicator.

As Government, we will ensure that there is dialogue because for you to perform well, there should be an understanding on various issues,” Mr
Yaluma said.