Musonda decries failed post privatisation mining policies, as FQM set to restructure operations

James Musonda, a policy analyst, has accused some mining firms of abusing the government’s acclaimed generosity towards mining firms.

He amalso said the planned redundancy programme by First Quantum Minerals (FQM) was one of many symptoms of failed Zambia’s post privatisation mining policies since the 2000s.

“From the look of things, mining companies do not reciprocate. The United Party for National Development (UPND) gave away K6 billion in mining taxes to foreign companies but still they do not appreciate efforts,” Musonda said in an interview on Saturday.

He added that the decision to hide the mining firm’s agenda to prune labour in business reorganisation was a mockery of the generosity of the UPND.

“This is an insult to the government which thought that by being very nice, mines will reciprocate by employing more of our people. I hope this teaches the UPND some lesson,” Musonda said.

He said it was unfortunate that successive regimes keep on repeating the same failed mining policies warning that the ruling party risked being booted out on the day of voting if the status quo doesn’t change.

In the statement, FQM had announced the consolidation of its Road and Earthworks Division, Mining Divisions and related supporting services currently carried out by First Quantum Mining Operations Limited (FQMO) with the operations at Kansanshi Mining Plc (KMP).

The biggest mine in Zambia by production and investments, further wrote letters to the government and mining unions informing them of its intention to embark on pruning its labour force which number is yet known.

FQMO was the original FQM corporate entity in Zambia which operated the Bwana Mkubwa mine.

James Musonda is Senior Researcher in Energy Policy at the Institute for Economic Justice, Johannesburg and holds a PhD in Politics and Social Sciences from University of Liège, Belgium.

In 2021, he won the Terence Ranger Prize for his work on Zambian Copperbelt miners, and he is a former trade unionist.

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