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Mer 3 Nov 2010 09:00
Kansanshi ventures go beyond mining activities
By Timothy Sichela
THE North-Western Province capital, Solwezi has never been the same since the re-opening of Kansanshi Mines, one of Zambia’s oldest mines.
The mining activities have triggered economic development particularly in Solwezi, thus putting a lot of strain on services in the now cosmopolitan town.
This has prompted Kansanshi to help transform the landscape of Solwezi.
Since starting production in 2005, the mine has spent colossal sums of money in uplifting the standards of infrastructure in this once rural town known previously for its beans and sweet potatoes growing.
Undaunted by the Solwezi Municipal Council town planning disorder, which has left the otherwise beautiful town looking like a big shanty with no roads and in areas where there are roads, no street names, Kansanshi has been relentless in its expenditure.
Through its Kansanshi Foundation, a non-profit making organisation funded by the Kansanshi Mine board to upgrade physical and social infrastructure, the mine has budgeted US$6.1 million for the year 2010/2011, the biggest ever, says Kansanshi public relations manager, Godfrey Msiska, in the four-year history of the foundation.
The mine, which has previously spent money in sectors such as education, health, social welfare, water and sanitation, has lined up various projects including construction of the Kansanshi Foundation Trust School near the weighbridge (new development area) at the cost $4.9 million.
“This will be a fee-paying school which will eventually cater for 1,000 pupils from Grade one to Grade 12. Fees will be reasonable and the public will be free to send children to our school,” Mr Msiska said.
Other projects include Kyafukuma Community Livelihood Project to cost the mine $40,000 to cover fish and poultry farming, and irrigated vegetable farming, purchase and installation of kitchen equipment at Solwezi Technical High School ($2,600), construction of a health post and staff houses at Israel Resettlement costing $136,000.
The mine will construct one classroom block and two teachers’ houses at Israel Community at the cost of $370,000, rehabilitate Solwezi Prison Clinic ($22,000), construct a health post and staff houses in Muzabula ($136,000), complete and equip 14 Water Wells in various rural communities in Solwezi District ($47,000).
The mine also plans to construct two foot bridges astride of Solwezi River Bridge at $61,000, build a new bridge on the Kyafukuma/Lexus Road ($145,200) and Solwezi General Hospital phase one of rehabilitation work gobbling up $200,000.
Mr Msiska said Kansanshi would eventually spend about $1.5million on Solwezi General Hospital renovation and upgrade to be funded and managed by the Kansanshi Foundation in collaboration with the provincial health office.
“As you know, the Solwezi General Hospital is the referral hospital for the North-Western Province, so it is necessary to have it upgraded to bring the facility into good repair so it is fit for the health care environment and challenges of 2010 in this dynamic province,” he said.
He said Kansanshi expected to benefit from the improvements including renovation of all existing wards and operating theatres, development of the emergency area and dialysis unit would support the mine’s emergency response capacity.
And there is more. Kansanshi has secured an initial batch of 548 plots, plus 53 hectares to cater for a Central Business District and a 2,400x150 metre ‘Greenbelt’ from Solwezi Municipal Council at a total cost of K1.9 billion. The long term plan is for the mine to acquire up to 2000 plots on which to build staff houses.
“You may wish to know that this payment (K1.9 billion) brings the total sum of money paid by Kansanshi Mining Plc to the Solwezi Municipal Council between January 2008 and August 2010 to K12.5 billion. Of this sum K10.6 billion is in the form of rates,” Mr Msiska says.
Kansanshi has since won kudos from the North-Western Council of Elders for approving a budget of $6.1million (K30 billion) for infrastructure development in the district for 2010/2011.
Council of Elders’ chairperson, Lucas Chikoti, a former UPND Kabompo East Member of Parliament and now a Solwezi business executive, said people of North-Western were happy that Kansanshi and Lumwana Mines were being good corporate citizens, ploughing some of their profits back into the community.
“This is what we expected from the mines. Kansanshi have approved a K30 billion budget, and Lumwana Mine is also putting in a lot and if they continue like this we will have no quarrels with them,” he said.
And on the business side of things, Kansanshi Mine is uplifting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by sponsoring a series of workshops in Solwezi, as it wants to do business with more local companies on professional basis.
Kansanshi contracts manager, Franques Lee told a recent business development workshop in Solwezi that the mine wanted to assist the local MSMEs grow by giving them tools of business to become role players.
And North-Western Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NWCCI) president Brenda Kunda thanked Kansanshi for sponsoring a series of business development workshops aimed at building capacity of those already in business and wishing to start business.
Ms Kunda said NWCCI was fortunate that Kansanshi had come on board to support the workshops in line with one of the objectives of NWCCI of supporting and promoting businesses in the province.
But with Solwezi Municipal Council at sea with all the abundant resources it receives from Government and Kansanshi, the mine is struggling to get the community to appreciate its projects which include works at Solwezi Technical School where broken windowpanes were replaced, the science laboratory equipped and girls’ dormitory constructed.
Other previous works comprise improvement of drainage on Independence Road, resurfacing the Market Road, sinking boreholes at airport, Solwezi General Hospital, provincial administration, and the purchase of mortuary chilling compressor at Solwezi General Hospital.
And in the various projects, which are undertaken with the relevant Government departments, Kansanshi hopes to empower local contractors by offering them all the Foundation projects to execute while maintaining transparency by ensuring that all contractors are treated equally during the tender process.
But, despite Kansanshi doing so much the local people appear not to appreciate the impact, leaving the Government concerned.
Mines and Mineral Development Deputy Minister Gabriel Namulambe expressed concern during a recent tour of the mine, urging Kansanshi to do more to promote its benefits to the locals.
“As Government we appreciate the mine’s corporate social responsibility, but it is important that the locals are also aware.
It’s like people do not still appreciate benefits from the mines,” Mr Namulambe said.
He said it was a pity that so much had been achieved in the North-Western following the re-opening of Kansanshi, but the Government was still getting the blame by the local people.
“There should be a plan to avail to the community about what Kansanshi is doing because you are doing so much, but people still do not appreciate- where is the problem? We don’t want as Government to be opposed when so much is being done,” he said.
With its newly launched Inside Kansanshi Newsletter, it is hoped that the mine will win over the locals in understanding that ‘Life has become a bit more pleasant for the people of Solwezi following the Foundation’s support through its community projects.’