Musokotwane positive about Zambia regaining top spot as copper mining leader in Africa

Government is upbeat about regaining its top spot as a copper mining leader in Africa following the policies and strategies being implemented in the country.

Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, said policies and strategies being implemented to improve the performance of the mining sector and enhance its contribution to the economy were sufficiently robust to help Zambia regain its top spot as a copper mining leader in Africa.

The Minister said this when Barrick Lumwana Country Manager Anthony Malenga paid a courtesy call on him in Lusaka on Tuesday.

“I am very excited with the progress of mineral exploration works at Lumwana and in other parts of the country commented the Minister, adding that, the journey to attainment of the national copper production target of three million tons per annum by 2030, requires everybody in the copper mining sector to contribute in a consistent manner.

“That is why as government, we will also continue to embrace and implement what it takes to regain our copper mining leadership in Africa,” Musokotwane said.

In response, Malenga informed the Minister that following the soon to be completed feasibility works, the US$2 billion Lumwana supper-pit expansion project would commence in 2025 with a workforce of approximately 2, 500.

“The intervening period, we will continue to ramp-up production and hope to reach 240, 000 metric tons per annum when the new mine comes on-stream in,” Malenga said.

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