Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe says government does not have short term measures to revamp both Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) and Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in order to support businesses on the Copperbelt.
According to Mine Unions, the court cases at Konkola Copper Mines and the unprofitability of the Mopani Copper Mines-Glencore deal have left local businesses limping as some suppliers and contractors are going for six months without payments.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Kabuswe said government only has long term solutions to issues surrounding the mining sector on the Copperbelt.
The Minister said the Ministry is very aware of the current happenings of the mining sector on the Copperbelt and is working to give the life line that is long lasting.
“Yes people have not been paid because Mopani needs money, it needs capital injection, I have been very clear that we are doing all we can to revamp the mine. It is not something that we want to waste time about but we want to do it properly”, he said.
Kabuswe argued that the current status of Mopani does not need short term solutions but long lasting solutions.
“We don’t want to give it Panadol, we have to get it healed and not giving it a pain killer and it is not even something that we want to waste time on but we want to do it correctly”, Kabuswe added.
