Kalumbila mine spends $43m on infrastructure projects

Wed, 02 Nov 2016 09:39:05 +0000

KALUMBILA Minerals Limited (KML)) says it has spent about US$43 million on various infrastructure projects to develop Kalumbila town from 2010 to date. KML Trident Foundation manager Garth Lappeman said some of the money went towards the resettlement of displaced families in the area to create room for mine development.

He was speaking at the weekend when a delegation of ministers comprising of Minister of Finance Felix Mutati, Minister of Works and Supply Ronald Chitotela and Minister of National Development Planning Lucky Mulusa visited the mine to familiarise themselves with its operations. Mr Lappeman said part of the funds were used to build 150 institutional houses for teachers and nurses, a police post and 1, 000 houses for miners within Kalumbila town.

“As I am speaking, the infrastructure is currently being utilised by the public in the area,” he said. He also said the area had economic potential but the land tenure system was hindering development. He appealed to Government to help resolve the issue to enable the mine continue with the development.

“As we are speaking a potential investor is willing to invest US$40 million to construct a mill bow factory in the Kalumbila industrial park which is within the Multi Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ),” he said. He explained that the facility would not only produce mill bows for Kalumbila Minerals Limited but also for other mines that would be operating in North-Western Province.

He said that the mill bow project once set up would also supply to mines on the Copperbelt and eventually export to mines in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Meanwhile, Mr Mutati assured the mine that Government would soon look into the concerns raised by the mining company which were affecting other development projects at the mine.