Maravi

Luanshya Mine to shed off contractors

Luanshya Mine to shed off contractors
Written by Zumani Katasefa in Luanshya
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 5:10:10 PM

CHINA Non-Ferrous Mining Corporation (CNFC), the new owner of the once troubled Luanshya Mine, has indicated that some contractors will not be given jobs at the mine once it commences production.

Speaking when deputy mines minister Boniface Nkhata visited the mine on Monday, mine underground manager Joseph Chikoti said the idea to do away with some contractors was aimed at maintaining mining standards at the firm.

“We are going to do away with some contractors to ensure that safety and mining standards are kept, we are also going to keep our costs of doing business low,” he said.

Chikoti said some contractors did not follow the mining standards, saying this was very dangerous in mining.

He said the new investor had directly employed some of the workers who were previously working under the contractors.

Chikoti also disclosed that the mine would be able to produce about 5,000 tonnes of ore and 1,500 tonnes of waste per day once production begins.

“By October, we would have done full-fledged development of the mine. We want to maintain steady progress of development, it is critical that we do that,” he said.

Chikoti said the investor was, at the moment, looking at rehabilitating the mine and procuring new machinery as most of the machines left by the previous investors were outdated.

And concentrator manager Venus Kasito said the filtration system at the mine was outdated and without ventilation system.

Kasito also said the five crushers left by the former investor were equally in a bad state.

And Nkatha hoped that the investorís plans about the mine would be fulfilled once it settled down.

Nkatha urged the people of Luanshya to work together with the new investor in Luanshya Mine.

“As government, we are not happy to see people languishing, we want to try our best and see that our people are happy,” said Nkhata.

CNMC has recalled 850 employees who worked under Luanshya Copper Mine (LCM) and directly recruited 200 workers previously employed by a contractor, Armco Prosec.

It is anticipated that 4,000 jobs would be created in Luanshya once production commences at both Baluba and Muliashi mines.

Labels: BONIFACE NKHATA, JOSEPH CHIKOTI, LUANSHYA COPPER MINES

posted by MrK @ 4:10 PM