‘Konkola mine declining,’ M’membe alleges inaction, demands comprehensive update

Dr Fred M’membe, Socialist Party (SP) leader, has demanded for a comprehensive update on the current situation at the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).

M’membe said the update should start from the time the mine was handed back to Vedanta Resources Limited.

The SP leader in a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday, stated that the party was reliably informed that the situation at KCM was getting dire each day.

He claimed that there was practically no operations taking place since Vedanta took back the mine last September.

“From October to date, mine contractors have been massively laying off employees due to diminishing operations and this has subsequently occasioned very high levels of job losses and suffering in Chingola at the moment,” M’membe stated.

He said in September last year, government handed back KCM to Vedanta on an understanding that the investor would recapitalise the mine and begin operations before the end of the year.

M’membe said it was almost a year, and there was still no productivity at KCM.

“The mine is declining, it’s on its last leg, yet this government remains dead silent over this unfolding socio-economic disaster in Chingola,” M’membe said.

He stated that it was in the public domain that Vedanta had been in a financial predicament for almost 3 years and the had been trying to source for funds.

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