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Former Zambia Ambassador to Ethiopia, Emmanuel Mwamba, has accused the government of violating the Constitution in the sale of Mopani Copper Mines to International Holdings Company (IRH) of Abu Dhabi.
Mwamba, who serves as the Patriotic Front (PF) faction Chairperson for Information and Publicity, claimed President Hakainde Hichilema and Mines and Minerals Development Minister. Paul Kabuswe, bypassed the constitutional requirement to seek parliamentary approval for the transaction.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Mwamba criticized the deal, describing it as lacking transparency.
He expressed concerns over the transfer of a 51 percent stake to IRH and its purported subsidiary, Delta Mining Ltd, alleging the companies may be shell entities with undisclosed beneficial owners.
“IRH and Delta were not among the original 10 bidders or the four shortlisted finalists,” Mwamba stated.
“The failure to pay for the shares and instead rely on investment pledges robs the country of its assets and resources.”
Mwamba accused the government of disposing of Mopani Copper Mines—a newly capitalized asset with recent investments of $4.5 billion in shafts and smelters—without adequate safeguards.
He called for investigations by security agencies into the bidding process and the transaction’s legality.
Mwamba further argued that under Article 210 (2) of the Constitution, parliamentary approval was required for the sale, a step he alleged was overlooked.
He claimed that instead of direct payment for the shares, IRH committed to an investment pledge of $1.1 billion, with no cash remitted to the treasury.
On Thursday, Mines and Minerals Development Minister, Paul Kabuswe, refuted Mwamba’s allegations, asserting that the Mopani transaction did not require parliamentary approval.
Speaking in Parliament, Kabuswe stated that the Attorney General had clarified that Mopani was neither a parastatal nor a government-held equity asset before or after the deal.
“The government did not hold any shares in Mopani and, therefore, was not capable of selling shares,” Kabuswe said. He added that the transaction did not involve the sale or disposal of a major state asset as defined by the Constitution.
The minister’s explanation followed Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti’s directive to provide further clarification after Kalabo Central MP Chinga Miyutu raised concerns over the initial submission.
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