Zambia tells Glencore to surrender copper shafts set for closure
MAPUTO – Zambia will order Glencore to hand local contractors control of two copper shafts that the company’s local unit has earmarked for closure.
Glencore’s Mopani Copper Mines announced early on Friday that it will cease operations at the Mindola North Shaft and Central Shaft because “they have reached the end of their economic life,” according to a statement emailed by the company. The government sent a team of engineers and geologists to the mine to verify Mopani’s reasons for the planned closure, Mines Minister Richard Musukwa said in a speech broadcast on State-owned ZNBC TV.
“We are studying the matter,” he said. “In the meantime, government has directed that Mopani must surrender North Shaft and Central Shaft to our local Zambian contractors, instead of putting them on care and maintenance.”
A spokesperson for Mopani wouldn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Musukwa’s comments signal the latest strain in relations between Africa’s second-biggest copper producer and the largest operators. The country introduced new mining royalties from January as part of efforts to ensure the country gets more benefit from its natural resources, prompting warnings from the industry lobby that the increase could render more than half the mines unprofitable.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Multotec, recognised industry leaders in metallurgy and process engineering help mining houses across the world process minerals more efficiently,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
