LUSAKA – Zambia, which owns a stake in Mopani Copper Mines (MCM), has rejected a bid by its partners to halt operations at the site, hoping to save jobs in the crucial industry, state media reported on Saturday.
One of the partners, Glencore International AG, had notified Zambian authorities that it plans to halt operations at the Mufulira copper mine and put its Nkana mine under maintenance.
State-run Times of Zambia newspaper quoted Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale as saying plans to close the Nkana and Mufulira mines by April 14 would not go ahead because legal procedures had not been followed.
MCM’s proposal to temporarily shut the mines drew criticism from unions and the government.
Mwale said in February that the government would ask Glencore to hand back Nkana and Mufulira copper mines to authorities so that the government could operate the mines as it searched for new buyers for the units.
Copper mines earn Zambia 63 per cent of its foreign exchange and are a major employer in this mineral-rich southern African country of 12 million people.
-Nampa-Reuters
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
