The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development says construction of the Kitumba Copper Project is set to begin in a matter of months.
Mines and Mineral Development Minister Richard Musukwa has announced that there will be ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Kitumba Copper Project in Mumbwa District Central Province.
Mr. Musukwa says the project has been ongoing for 25 years and a number of big market players did a lot of exploration on it.
He says it will be the first large Mine outside the Copperbelt and North Western Provinces and will open a lot of employment and business opportunities for the Mumbwa people.
The Minister has noted that the development comes with the change in ownership of Kitumba.
He explains that he approved a share transfer from intrepid Mined Limited of Australia to Consolidated Mining and investment Limited (CMI) last week.
Mr. Musukwa has also said that CMI are the owners of the Munali Nickel Mine which is about to start production.
Meanwhile Mr. Musukwa says mining houses should invest more in healthy and safe working environments to avoid accidents.
He says accidents of any nature in any mining operations including explorations must be avoided at all costs.
The Minister was speaking when he officiated at the annual Explorers’ Forum of the Association of Zambian Mineral Exploration Companies (AZMEC) under the theme “New options for Zambia: Minerals and areas”.
Speaking at the same event, AZMEC President Geoffrey Mulenga says only two of minable deposits have been discovered since independence due to insufficient investment in the industry.
Mr. Mulenga says exploration is a risky business and says there is room for more incentives without negatively affecting government revenue.