Chief Sailunga Ikundu demands serious investor for Kalaba mine

THE continued delay by Zamsort to open Mwinilunga’s Kalaba mine has unsettled the royal establishment with the chief calling on the government to reconsider the mining licence granted to the mining company. Chief Sailunga Ikundu of the Lunda people in Mwinilunga has advised the government to immediately find another investor to run Kalaba Mine which Zamsort, majority owned by Arc Minerals Limited which holds a 66 percent stake, has failed to open as its continued delay was affecting the government’s development agenda. Arc Minerals also holds majority shareholding (at 72.5 percent) of Zaco, another project for which a licence has been obtained but with the majority shareholders’ dealings at Kalaba mine, it is unclear if this particular venture will come to fruition. Speaking through his representative, Kenneth Kanyemesha, the traditional leader wondered why there was continued delay by Zamsort to open the mineral-rich mine despite many years of holding a licence for mining works at the site. The traditional leader said that the company has failed to make tangible progress despite the mine being in existence since 2002 but had instead employed caretakers to safeguard the land and a few machinery brought in instead of going into full production. It is envisaged that the opening of the mine would boost economic activities in the area and improve the living standards of the people in his chiefdom. “The opening up of Kalaba Mine shall also open up business activities in the district and the community will benefit in terms of poverty reduction,” the traditional leader said. Last year in May, 27 headmen and women wrote to Zamsort and made known their concerns regarding the delay to open the mine. They stated that Zamsort continued to make promises about the mine’s future but nothing had been done so far, including employment of youths in the area.