Zambia’s second largest gold mine, Mwinilunga’s Kasenseli gold mine whose operations were halted following the change of government after the 2021 general elections, is scheduled to reopen before end of June 2024, according to the Ministry of Mines and Minerals development.
This follows Chief Government Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa remarks that during the cabinet meeting, President Hakainde Hichilema directed that Kasenseli gold mine be operational.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary, Dr. Hapenga Kabeta said the Zambia gold Company which is under the ZCCM IH has been directed to rectify everything before end of June 2024.
“I can not give you the dates for the actuall commencement of operations but there are certain conditions that need to be met. Over the period that it has been closed there are certain things that were supposed to be addressed in the form of remediations that were advised to Zambia gold Company by the mine safety department.”
“So that remediation according to the program, the Ministry has directed that by end of June, we need to have the mine opened so whatever they want to do between now and then, we want the process to be complete by that period.”
“That is the directive that it has to be done and that is the position that we have as the Ministry and it is our desire, but may be Zamgold Company may have a different perspective looking at the steps that need to be put into consideration before the commencement of operation.”
Asked if all issues that led to the closure of the mine have been addressed before the commencement of operations, Kabeta said,
“Because the consent I think if you recall that it was on 1st May, 2024. when the President received the consent and he was commending the Chiefs so with that correction of the consent from the Chiefs, the Company has been putting in place various things.”
He noted that the mines safety department in 2021 established that they were some things that were not done properly and those are the things that Zambia gold Company is going to rectify before they resume operations.
Kasenseli Gold Mine operations were suspended following a ministerial directive by the Minister of Mines Paul Kabuswe. Kabuswe when suspending operations at Zambia’s second largest gold mine (second to FQM’s Kansanshi Mine) sighted concerns relating to mining license conditions as well as safety regulations among other concerns.
The Zambia Gold Company, a subsidiary of ZCCM IH started its official gold mining operations at Kasenseli in June 2020,was opened with great anticipation and hope for the Zambian economy as the huge gold reserves held were believed to be large enough for the set up of a huge gold reserve that could provide a viable alternative to holding of US dollar reserves.
However, the delay in reopening the gold for almost 3 years has been depriving the country of the opportunity to aggressively build up its gold reserves and the Bank of Zambia was left to rely on gold supplies from the privately held Kansanshi Copper and gold Mine.
