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LCM to pour K20bn into Baluba mine
LUANSHYA Copper Mines (LCM) is investing more than K20 billion in the rehabilitation of the Baluba underground mine to improve safety and efficiency, the company’s operations manager Pearson Mwale has said.
Mr Mwale said during a tour of the mine yesterday that the company was being proactive by undertaking the rehabilitation rather than wait for a breakdown of the obsolete equipment that would cost the company more money and the safety of the miners.
He said the rehabilitation, whose preparations were all in place and would result in the shut down that starts today, had long-term benefits for the mine run by China Non-ferrous Metals Corporation (CNMC).
Mr Mwale said the company had brought in new control systems for the rock winder that facilitated the movement of the ore from the underground mine to the shaft and the service winder that facilitated for the movement of the miners and other material from underground to the mine shaft at a cost of US$4.5 million.
He said the winders that the mine was using were manufactured in 1936 and were, therefore, ineffective and outdated.
Mr Mwale said currently, the mine transported 375 tonnes of copper ore per hour and after rehabilitation it would be transporting about 500 tonnes per hour.
He said the Zambian and Chinese engineers working for the company were the ones that would install the equipment and that only the manufacturers of the equipment were the outsiders that would be present to monitor the implementation.
Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) Roan chapter chairperson Stanslous Mwimbe said they had informed the miners on the conditions of the temporary shut down.
Mr Mwimbe said he was happy that the investor at LCM was doing more to maintain the good safety record by ensuring that the workers were safe while improving efficiency of the mine which was a good thing for Luanshya.
And CNMC LCM yesterday donated household goods worth K6 million to a miner, Kaunda Mushili whose house was partly gutted by fire on October 15 this year.
CNMC LCM assistant chief executive officer Zhang Yangshun said the company decided to assist Mr Mushili because he was hardworking.