By ROGERS KALERO
MOPANI Copper Mines (MCM) has offered K161, 476.00 to support 48 horticultural farmers whose farms near the tailing dams in Kitwe were washed away following heavy rains experienced early this year
MCM Chief Executive Officer, Charles Sakanya, said the mining company had decided to support the 48 affected farmers after receiving a request for assistance from the community.
In January this year, Kitwe experienced heavy rains, leading to a significant rise in water levels which damaged their fields.
Mr Sakanya was speaking at the handed over ceremony yesterday at Mapalo Primary School in Mugala Township.
He said, as a responsible corporate citizen of Kitwe, the giant mining company felt compelled to join hands with the district authorities to alleviate the sufferings of the victims.
“As much as the flooding was an act of nature, MCM was concerned that people whose crops were damaged due to excess rainfall could face a food insecure future. We learnt with sadness that some of the affected people entirely depended on the damaged crops for their household good security.
“It is for this reason that we decided to make a humanitarian financial distribution that we are handing over today. We have raised a total of K161, 476.00 to support the 48 affected farmers in both Kitwe and Kalulushi,” Mr Sakanya said.
Mr Sakanya said out of the total amount, K80,535.00 will be given to the affected farmers in Kitwe , while the remaining K80, 941.48 will be given to the affected farmers in Kalulushi.
“It is our sincere hope that this humanitarian contribution will go some way in improving the economic well-being of the affected households by enabling them to buy some inputs for their farming activities next season,” he said.
In a vote of thanks, Stone Kabwe, Chairman of the victims, said he was grateful to MCM and District Commissioner (DC) Chileshe Bweupe who had been helpful in the whole process.
Mr Kabwe said despite pushing the DC over the issue, he had lost hope that MCM could give them something following the washing away of their fields.
