Lumwana Prepares for Rainy Season

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Lumwana Prepares for Rainy Season

16 October 2009

LUMWANA Mining Company has spent about US$2 million to prepare for the forthcoming wet season after last season's rains greatly affected production.

And Lumwana has started giving out agricultural plots to miners as it administers employee home ownership scheme to enhance food production and improve employees' standard of living.

Lumwana managing director Harry Michael said in an interview in Solwezi yesterday that his company was spending the money following the experience of the 2008-09 wet season.

"Mining is expensive, we have spent about $2 million to prepare for the wet season; we don't want to suffer as we did during the last season, we hope our preparations would minimise the effects," Mr Michael said.

He said following the experience of mining at Lumwana during the 2008-09 wet season, pit preparation had been considerably improved for the forthcoming 2009-10 rainy season.

Diversion channels to control surface water ingress into the pit had also been constructed, substantial sumps excavated for the collection of in-pit water and pumping capacity had been doubled.

The mine had also ensured all its main ramps and roads had been sheeted and surfaced with bitumen emulsion to improve road conditions, particularly during wet periods.

Lumwana believes that based on the work undertaken in preparation for the wet season, a continuing focus on mining fleet productivity, the commissioning of further trolley-assist infrastructure to help improve truck cycle times and the increasing exposure of new sulphide ore zones, that the fourth quarter, subject to wet season conditions, should demonstrate additional improvement on quarterly production to date.

The company expects production of about 110,000 tonnes of copper for full calendar year 2009.

And Mr Michael has said the mine has started giving out agricultural plots to its miners to give them an alternative source of income, and enhance food production in the area and contribute to the food security in Zambia.

He said out of the 300 mortgaged houses, about 50 miners had been given agricultural plots.

Lumwana wanted to encourage those who came from an agricultural background to continue even as they worked on the mine.

Meanwhile, Lumwana has invited eight religious organisations to build churches in the mining area. Without naming the organisations, Mr Michael said the eight were the more dominant in Lumwana.

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