TOGETHER ISSUE Quarter 3, 2020
AN FQM ZAMBIA QUARTERLY PUBLICATION
What’s inside: • FQM CALLS ON NGOS TO ‘GET IT RIGHT’ ON MINING SECTOR’S CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT • ORPHANS BENEFIT FROM FQM WALK FOR WATER INITIATIVE • HOW FQM IS BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT Picture taken by Mwansa Mambwe.
BOLDER • SMARTER • DRIVEN •TOGETHER
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WHAT’S INSIDE 04
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FQM CALLS ON NGOs TO ‘GET IT RIGHT’ ON MINING SECTOR’S CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT
ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER AND GOOD HYGIENE SHOULD TAKE PRECEDENCE
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FQM CALLS ON NGOs TO ‘GET IT RIGHT’ ON MINING SECTOR’S CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT
ORPHANS BENEFIT FROM FQM WALK FOR WATER INITIATIVE
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FQM’S WORKPLACE MOBILE HEALTH SERVICES RECORDING POSITIVE GAINS
KAKOMA WINS PRESTIGIOUS ROWING SCHOLARSHIP
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NSANSHI ART: A HOPE FOR WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY
HOW FQM IS BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
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COUNTRY MANAGER'S MESSAGE
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his “TOGETHER” Magazine communicates stories and events which together, we have created or caused to happen. Together, we have endeavored to reach out to the communities in our areas of operations, making significant contribution to infrastructure development, responding to health challenges, uplifting livelihoods, educating our children and protecting girls against teenage pregnancies. We feature heart-warming health and community stories which include the company’s initiative to care for orphans. The danger COVID-19 pauses to life has not gone away. We have, as employees stood together to join forces with government in tackling challenges that threaten lives, our operations and consequently the country’s economy. In this edition, we carry out elaborate stories and accounts of the company’s contribution to government efforts to fight the spread of the pandemic. However, without the commitment and cooperation of all the employees at all levels of our operations, these efforts would not have yielded the desired results. When it comes to our core business, together we have endeavored to deliver production but never at the expense of destroying our beautiful environment. Together, we will continue to implement an effective Environmental Management System aimed at promoting and maintaining best practice in the industry. We have been, and continue to be each other’s keeper in the work place to ensure we all go home safely. We have maintained a good safety record. We are altogether proud to run the best operation in Zambia. Our company’s interest in the human resource starts with the development of the young people. The company encourages whole education and in this edition, we are proud to feature Kakoma, a 10th grade student at Trident College for winning the prestigious Rowing Scholarship. He is a good athlete who will go a long way and someday raise the Zambian Flag in the field of sports. Altogether, we must know the technical aspects of our operations. We, therefore, look inside Kalumbila Minerals Processing Plant to know what happens to the millions of tones of ore we move every month and appreciate the “madness” of a Metallurgist in pooling together the support teams of Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, System Control Engineers, Artisans, Boilers Makers and a whole lot of operatives to extract copper from ore and concentrate it into the form suitable for the production of the red metal at the Smelter - and to do so, safely 24/7/365.
“Together” is a word that describes oneness, unity of purpose, singleness of minds and ideals. A workforce that is “Together”, being driven by unity of purpose, will always be bold, fully supporting smartness and maintain their place in the league of Mining giants. That is us in FQM in Zambia. Enjoy this edition of the Together Magazine. Stay safe and healthy and look out for one another’s needs in the work place. Kind regards, General Kingsley Chinkuli FQM Country Manager
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GENERAL NEWS
FQM CALLS ON NGOS TO ‘GET IT RIGHT’ ON MINING SECTOR’S CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT
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ambia’s largest taxpayer, First Quantum Minerals, has called upon non-corporate actors to better acquaint themselves with the mining sector’s contribution to community development.
The mining company said that inaccurate reports from some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been misleading and constitute the spreading of ‘fake news’. Such reports have the potential to unfairly damage reputations and tarnish their own reputations as being the flag bearers of good governance. “We work hard to leave a lasting and positive legacy everywhere we work. Our corporate values dictate that we devote considerable resources to supporting government’s efforts to help improve the living conditions of the local communities wherever we work,” said Kansanshi Foundation Corporate Social Responsibility Manager Bruce Lewis. And he emphasised that many NGOs work tirelessly to support communities, pointing to the strong relationship and monthly meetings with the Zambia Extractive Industry Transparency Alliance (ZEITA), a consortium of 34 NGOs based in the areas surrounding the company’s mines, which do represent those communities. There were many manifestations of FQM’s presence in Solwezi and at Kalumbila, especially significant infrastructure projects, costing millions of dollars, he said. They include the rehabilitation of Solwezi General Hospital and the construction of health posts,
classroom blocks, teacher’s accommodation, and markets for traders. These constitute valuable additions to the government and the communities’ physical resources. In addition, Mr Lewis said: “Our teams – everyone from health practitioners and environmentalist to community development specialists – work in partnership with the communities and government to help understand their concerns and priority needs. By doing so we can respond by working to optimise benefits and reduce negative impacts.” He appealed to NGOs to better appreciate how much work has gone into planning and implementing what has been achieved. The company well recognises that there are many outstanding challenges in the North-West but that not all the problems, preexisting and new, can be solved, at least over-night. Also, he pointed out, no mining company is responsible for solving all of a country’s problems. FQM hopes that NGOs will in future, take adequate time to assess local situations more thoroughly and consider the broader context of what they are observing. In such a case FQM would welcome suggestions on how problem situations might be resolved, as a form of positive mutual problem solving. In line with these sentiments, FQM was interested to read that a
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Representatives from civil society organisations and Kansanshi Mining after an engagement workshop
member of the African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific had identified and written about such issues. Researcher Margaret O’Callaghan had published a paper on the subject in the Association’s journal last year. She pointed out that NGOs could and should play a valuable role in a mining boom but that they did a dis-service to the communities they aimed to serve if they published reports which were inaccurate and biased. She also recognized that there were always many challenges for governments and communities in adapting to the presence of mines, and for companies to work effectively to resolve them.
O’Callaghan noted, “The situation in the mining sector is changing, there have been improvements globally over the past decade in environment and social-related policies and approaches. There are stronger checks in place and the cost of not doing the right things is now very high for the reputations of companies and consequently their share prices.”
Continuing, she wrote:
“While the improvements may be occurring far too slowly in some places, those reviewing a situation need to come to an area with an open mind and not just jump to forgone conclusions. It is hardly justice to pre-judge what is going on, even when some problems are obvious. The roles played by other actors also need to be considered before the finger is pointed, especially given the roles of local government, traditional authorities, local businesses and even the communities themselves.” She also emphasised the need for positive, collaborative problem solving.
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FQM ZAMBIAN TAX PAYMENTS TOP $533 MILLION FOR 2018
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irst Quantum Minerals paid more than US$533 million (K5.6 billion) in taxes to the Zambian government in 2018, with an additional US$10 million spent on community and infrastructure projects.
Contributions to the nation’s coffers accounted for two thirds of the global company’s worldwide tax payments, according to its just-published 2018 Tax Transparency and Contributions to Government Report, a legal requirement under Canada’s Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act (ESTMA) and Chapter 10 of the EU Accounting Directive. “First Quantum makes significant contributions to the public finances of the countries in which we operate. We strongly support the various transparency initiatives which provide all stakeholders with clear information of the contributions which First Quantum makes to our host governments. The 2018 Tax Transparency and Contributions to Government Report highlights First Quantum’s contributions to our host Governments, which helps to illustrate the positive impact we strive to create everywhere we do business,” said the report. During the year, FQM paid US$144 million in income tax to the Zambian Revenue Authority, US$197 million in mineral royalties, US$73 million in PAYE, US$8 million in withholding tax and US$90 million in consumption and import taxes. Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi accounted for US$315 million of the payments – 58 percent of the total payments to Zambia, while its Trident project, including Sentinel Mine at Kalumbila, accounted for 28 percent or US$150 million, a figure that reflected that the mine only began commercial operation in 2016 and has yet to turn a profit. FQM’s tax payments in Zambia during the year represented 14 percent of the country’s budgeted tax revenue of K41 billion (US$3.9 billion) for 2018. The calculations are based on the average exchange rate for the year of K10.4781/US dollar. FQM Chief Financial Officer Hannes Meyer said: “At First Quantum, we know that our success is dependent on the wellbeing of the economies and communities where our businesses operate. We also believe that transparency can
help stakeholders to understand the economic benefits generated by our activities, and how those benefits are distributed for local, regional, and national economic and social development. Therefore, we strive to ensure that our disclosures are transparent, consistent, accessible, and presented in a way that is easily understood. “In taking this transparent and responsible approach, we provide communities with the opportunity to understand the revenue contributions we make to their governments and how these contributions ultimately assist in the development of local communities and the overall economic and broader positive wellbeing of those communities and countries.”
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He also explained that First Quantum’s investments are large and involve significant amounts of upfront capital. “First Quantum believes that, to attract capital to make these large-scale multi-year investments, it is essential for tax policy to be stable and consistent and that agreements are respected. “We believe by openly working with host countries on tax policy and ensuring we are transparent in what we invest, pay, and contribute, we can benefit the countries we operate in by not only the contributions we make but also by the positive endorsement our investments make in the host country.”
“We believe by openly working with host countries on tax policy and ensuring we are transparent in what we invest, pay, and contribute, we can benefit the countries we operate in by not only the contributions we make but also by the positive endorsement our investments make in the host country.”
In 2018, FQM’s contributions under ESTMA reporting standards amounted to US$527 million. Compared to 2017, tax payments increased by 54 percent, mostly attributable to Kansanshi, while royalty payments increased by 23 percent, mostly due to stronger copper production from Sentinel Mine and higher copper prices. First Quantum’s approach to tax and royalty payments reflects its underlying core values which focuses on building open and transparent relationships with the tax authorities in those countries. Blasting and drilling operation at Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila
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FQM BEATS HEADWINDS TO EXCEED PRODUCTION TARGETS AT SENTINEL MINE
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entinel Mine in Kalumbila District of North-Western Province has exceeded production targets for July and August.
This strong performance - over 23,000 tonnes of copper in July and over 25,000 tonnes of copper produced in August - was attributed to consistent milling rates and better-than-expected grades in August. It puts the mine on track to meet investor projections for the full quarter. The performance was despite the pressures of a tax regime ranked as the least competitive in the world by consulting firm EY, and challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have seen numerous changes to the country's mining tax regime over the last ten years. However, despite the policy inconsistency, First Quantum managed to pay more than US$533 million (K5.6 billion) in taxes to the Zambian government in 2018, with an additional US$10 million spent on community and infrastructure projects," said FQM government affairs specialist Dr Godwin Beene. He explained that the mining firm's approach to tax and royalty payments reflects its underlying core values that focus on building open and transparent relationships with the tax authorities in the countries where it operates. The company provided an operations update to shareholders this week which revealed that Kansanshi Mine has continued to operate as expected, delivering consistent production despite declines in oxide grades and recovery. The company's recently updated Mineral Reserves and Resources report for Kansanshi showed a 70 percent and 40 percent increase respectively over the last update in May 2015. This has extended the mine life to 24 years.
Kalumbila Minerals production has seen an increase in production from 112,693.17 metric tonnes from January to June in 2019 to 117,353.51 metric tonnes in the same period in 2020. Kansanshi Mining, production has increased from 112,540.76 metric tonnes in 2019 to 128,188.20 metric tonnes in 2020. However, Dr Beene cautioned that for the company to continue being a major contributor to the Zambian economy, the government needed to put in place an effective and efficient mineral tax regime to attract foreign direct investment, which should seek to adequately compensate the country while remaining internationally attractive and competitive. Mining sector taxes and royalties paid to the government contribute significantly to the national economy. During the first half of 2019, the mining sector's direct contribution was 13 per cent of domestic revenues, according to the report 'Assessment of Mining Fiscal Regime in Zambia: 2000-2019' by Prof. Oliver Saasa and Shebo Nalishebo from the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR).
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HEALTH
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HEALTH
FQM’S WORKPLACE MOBILE HEALTH SERVICES RECORDING POSITIVE GAINS
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orkplace mobile health services, testing and treatment and health education programmes have led to an improvement in the well-being of employees at Kansanshi and Kalumbila Mines in North-Western Province.
First Quantum has for the last 10 years been implementing a robust and consistent health awareness programme and has continued to record strong outcomes among its employees and their families and the communities where they live. UN-SDG Goal 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all age, addressed by FQM’s various healthcare initiatives and agriculture support. “FQM’s efforts to improve community-based health services while advancing disease prevention are framed by a
broader vision of where corporate support can have the most impact. For any mining company, workplace health and community well-being are inextricably linked,” said FQM’s country Manager General Kingsley Chinkuli. FQM spent around US$1.3 million on community health programmes in 2019. Of this, approximately 80 percent was allocated to the delivery of clinical and community-based health services, with the balance going to prevention and education programmes. “We have been running health promotion programmes, which target HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention (this includes testing and counselling), malaria testing and treatment and non-communicable diseases which are the blood pressures, blood sugar and checking of body mass index amongst the employees.
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“We also have system strengthening, which includes providing support to the district health office and the rural health centres in terms of transport logistics, as well as constructions clinics and upgrading of existing health facilities,” he continued.
General Chinkuli added that the mining firm is using six health pillars, focusing on the workplace and the community with HIV/AIDS, malaria, water hygiene and sanitation, Non-communicable health diseases, health systems strengthening and girl/child empowerment initiatives. “For these pillars to be effective, we need to ensure that we build capacity among our employees so that they can be our agents of change in their families and the communities they live. Because if the employees are ill, productivity declines and the same is true if employees are dealing with illness in their families, their morale goes down. And if a broader health issue affects the entire community, it can have a severe impact on social stability, as well as people’s willingness
to move into the area – which in turn is detrimental to economic growth,” said General Chinkuli. The company has also realised the importance of bringing various stakeholders on board in its fight against malaria and other preventable diseases while conducting intense health education to effectively reach parents, girls and boys engaged and trained on comprehensive sexuality and human rights education. First Quantum has therefore long made healthcare a priority in all the communities where it operates. The challenge, especially in less prosperous regions, is where to draw the line between problems that the company has a responsibility to help address, and those that remain within the mandate of the public healthcare system.
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GOVERNMENT PLEASED WITH FQM’S COVID-19 PREVENTION MEASURES
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overnment has commended First Quantum Minerals for the measures it has put in place to protect the health and overall well-being of its employees, their families and communities neighbouring its Kansanshi and Kalumbila mine sites from COVID-19. The government has also reaffirmed its commitment to helping mining companies to remain productive through capacity building in healthcare provision for their employees. Speaking after he toured the Kalumbila mine in May, North-Western Province Minister Hon. Nathaniel Mubukwanu said: “If we stay away from the response for whatever reason, we risk losing it all as a community. The government of the Republic of Zambia, particularly His Excellency the President attaches great importance to the operation of this mine. That is why we will do everything possible within our means to ensure that production is not disrupted.
“This mine is not only important to the shareholders; to the investors, it’s just as important to the people of Zambia as it to the workers, because we know the contribution that you are making to national treasury. If the mine were to die today, if the mine were to shut down today, it means that that entire contribution would not be there,” he said. The provincial minister and the district administration teams visited the mine to appreciate the measures put in place to respond to COVID-19 in the workplace and the district. The minister and his entourage appreciated the screening at main entries to the town and mine, especially the stateof-the-art thermal scanner, which scans people's faces within a distance of up to 2 metres, that have been put in place at the mine’s main checkpoint to capture individual temperature data. “At first, we thought that we were very prepared, not until it was reported that we have a case before us. Our team of experts from the Ministry of Health, the local committee
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HEALTH
Testing and screening for diseases is a crucial component of FQM's mobile health service
“We have invested a lot of time and effort and money to get us as prepared as we believe we can. But like anything, we cannot do this alone; we need the support of the people like yourself from the government and the Ministry of Health; from the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Labour. Generally, as a community if we can pull together, we believe we can get through,” he said. Provincial Health Director Dr Charles Msiska requested FQM to extend goodwill and have the same thermal scanners it has installed at its mines also installed at Solwezi Airport.
responded rapidly to ensure that those that had tested positive in the first place where put in the right isolation centres and also moved and managed by qualified people,” he continued. The minister also visited the isolation centres put in place by the mine and met with health workers. He thanked them for their dedication to duty. Kalumbila Minerals Limited Assistant General Manager Mr Junior Keyser said the company employed several experts and liaises daily with the Ministry of Health.
Health workers from FQM will also be included with training for government health workers by a team from Lusaka, said Dr Msiska. In further work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, FQM has renovated Solwezi School of Nursing as an isolation facility at a cost of $85,298, purchased medical personal protective equipment (PPE) worth $80,000, repaired the Solwezi District Office ambulance at a total cost $4,900, donated a GeneXpert COVID-19 test machine, and repaired water reticulation at Solwezi General Hospital at a total cost of $5,000.
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FQM PROVIDES K85,000 OXYGEN LIFELINE FOR SOLWEZI GENERAL HOSPITAL
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irst Quantum Minerals has once again stepped in to support Solwezi General Hospital, this time by providing K85,000 of oxygen, which has become critically short in the medical facility.
As COVID-19 cases rise in North-Western Province, the company is providing the assistance on humanitarian grounds in response to a request by Provincial Health Director Dr Charles Msiska. “First Quantum has continued to complement government’s efforts in combating the deadly COVID-19 pandemic through the strengthening of clinical healthcare facilities and stepping up prevention awareness in communities surrounding its mining operations in Solwezi and Kalumbila,” said FQM Government Affairs Specialist Dr Godwin Beene. This is not that first time FQM has come to the aid of Solwezi General Hospital. Earlier this year, Kansanshi Mining Plc paid for the US$85,298 renovation of Solwezi School of Nursing, which was handed over to the provincial leadership to be used as a COVID-19 isolation facility. The company also funded reconstruction of the hospital’s maternity ward following a heavy storm that destroyed the facility in March 2019, spending US$170,000; contractors and suppliers that deal with the mine donated a further US$80,000, bringing the total to US$250,000. This money went towards reconstruction of the maternity ward, reinstallation of electrical wiring and fittings, fitting of new roofing sheets and trusses, purchase of new beds, mattresses and other furniture and fittings, medical equipment and machinery, new incubators, and replacement of damaged PVC floor tiles with a medically friendly epoxy floor.
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The contributions underline FQM’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of the communities it operates in and the provision of resources to help government combat challenges such as those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
FACTS ON HEALTH ◙ FQM’s annual health budget is around US$15 million ◙ FQM spent around US$1.3 million on community health programmes in 2019. Of this, approximately 80 percent was allocated to the delivery of clinical and communitybased health services, with the balance going to prevention and education programmes.
This is not that first time FQM has come to the aid of Solwezi General Hospital.
◙ Over K8 million spent on COVID-19 mitigation and prevention measures
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ENVIRONMENT
“ONWARDS AND UPWARDS” FQM’S VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
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irst Quantum Minerals will continue to i m p l e m e n t an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) to maintain and promote sound environmental practices while reducing environmental risks at its Sentinel and Kansanshi Mines in North-Western Province. The company’s environmental management system has been aligned to international standards including ISO 14001, said Environmental Manager Kachiwala Sapalo, who explained that the mining firm remains committed to protecting the long-term welfare of the communities where it operates. “We know that we don’t know the answers to all the many challenges we may face. So, we will continue to interact with those that come to the fore. The vision for environmental management at FQM is an ‘onwards and upwards’ movement. We want to illustrate that we can go beyond compliance. And to do so, we will incorporate a lot of initiatives that will come from the local people themselves here because we are open to engage with so many
“In ensuring that all its subsidiaries and projects protect the lasting security of the communities where it operates in an environmentally sound manner, FQM’s legacy is to run sustainably, to be compliant, and to look forward to having a good name in the industry and amongst its stakeholders,”
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stakeholders,” he said. “This includes testing community boreholes for water quality and following up with guidance from government on corrective actions, sensitisation on hygiene, and engagement on protection of our forests, prevention of fires and preservation of ecosystems. “Mining firms need to explain their goodwill to the communities they operate in, because mining has been misrepresented as an operation that it is there to reap resources and leave without giving back. “In ensuring that all its subsidiaries and projects protect the lasting security of the communities where it operates in an environmentally sound manner, FQM’s legacy is to run sustainably, to be compliant, and to look forward to having a good name in the industry and amongst its stakeholders,” Sapalo further explained. First Quantum Minerals has spent over US$100 million on its sustainability and community development programmes with the aim of improving the environment, health, and the quality of life for its employees, their families, and their immediate communities.
“We know that we don’t know the answers to all the many challenges we may face. So, we will continue to interact with those that come to the fore. The vision for environmental management at FQM is an ‘onwards and upwards’ movement. We want to illustrate that we can go beyond compliance.''
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ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER AND GOOD HYGIENE SHOULD TAKE PRECEDENCE
Water testing and treatment is regulalry conducted to ensure the community's drinking water remains safe and clean
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ccess to clean water, adherence to good hygiene practices and improved sanitation should be number one priority for community development, to maintain health and prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, says First Quantum Minerals.
The mining firm believes that water is the most basic human need and should always be prioritised over other forms of development work where needs are not being met. According to the United Nations-Water Agency (UN-Water), globally 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and 4.2 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services, and that unsafe hygiene practices are widespread, compounding the effects on people’s health. The impact on child mortality rates is devastating, with more than 297,000 children under five dying annually from diarrhoeal diseases due to poor sanitation, poor hygiene, or unsafe drinking water.
“We have spent over US$100 million on our sustainability and livelihoods development programmes. The overall objective of our socio-economic development programmes is that we want to leave the communities in a better state than we found them,”
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It is for this reason that the mining firm has prioritised water and sanitation in its sustainability programmes, in a move that puts it at the forefront of best practice in private sector social investment locally and globally. “We have spent over US$100 million on our sustainability and livelihoods development programmes. The overall objective of our socioeconomic development programmes is that we want to leave the communities in a better state than we found them,” said FQM country manager General Kingsley Chinkuli. Gen. Chinkuli explained that through its Kansanshi Foundation in Solwezi and Trident Foundation in Kalumbila the company has stepped up its campaign to end poverty, fight inequality, and tackle climate change while ensuring that no one is left behind in the communities where it operates, and in this case, improving access to clean and safe drinking water for local communities. “A community needs assessment conducted by our field officers revealed that community members, especially women and girls, were taking long hours to go and draw water from the unprotected wells. And these wells were found to be contaminated because they were not well covered and was very easy for foreign particles to enter the water, which the people use for drinking and cooking,” he said. The company has also launched a community water upgrade project, which is aimed at facilitating access to clean water by community members by sinking deep boreholes going down to 130 metres, bypassing the upper
iron-rich water aquifer, which naturally affects the water quality. The boreholes are drilled in the locations requested by communities once geophysical studies indicate the presence of water. “The boreholes we are sinking have been strategically positioned in the communities to allow easy access to water by the households in the catchment areas. And our mothers and daughters will no longer have to walk long distances to fetch water, leaving them with enough time to do other activities,” he continued. Among the water projects the mining firm has implemented so far, are 24 boreholes it has handed over to communities around its Kansanshi mine in Solwezi, to assist local people with access to clean and safe drinking water. The mining firm has installed the boreholes to a depth of 60 metres, with full stainless-steel casing from top to bottom – at a total cost of US$129,600.
“First Quantum has also handed over four deep boreholes to three communities in Senior Chief Musele’s chiefdom as part of the mining firm’s on-going commitment to bring fresh clean water to local communities in Kalumbila. The boreholes, which have been spread out in Kankonzhi, Musele Central and Kisasa communities, are each 120 metres deep and will have a set of solar panels, submersible pump, and a 32,000-litre water tank each.
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COMMUNITY
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COMMUNITY TEAMWORK TARGETS TEENAGE PREGNANCIES IN KALUMBILA
irst Quantum Minerals has engaged traditional leaders and parents in raising awareness among schoolgirls and boys on sexual reproductive health and helping girls to become independent and self-sufficient by avoiding teenage pregnancy and early marriage.
The government introduced an e-learning platform soon after schools were closed, as well as a television channel dedicated to teaching pupils across the country. However, in a country where only 17 percent of the population have access to the internet, with 32.9 percent of Zambia’s 18 million people having access to electricity, the learning process to most schools came to a halt; further compounding the challenges of education access and quality in most parts of the country. The mining firm has noted with concern the negative impact teenage pregnancies have on the family, which includes lowered
educational achievement, a lifetime of economic stress and limited opportunity, low labour force participation and reduced earnings for the household. “We have trained traditional leaders and parents on adolescent sexual reproduction health: comprehensive sexuality education and human rights. Because most of the time we have cases were these girls are impregnated and are married off at a young age,” said FQM’s Health and Wellness Promotions Officer Marjorie Fwoloshi.
“When they know about the importance of human rights, they (traditional leaders and parents) will be able to deliberate such kind of cases at their level, because they used to deal with teenage pregnancy cases at the household level. So, now we are telling them these are young girls, and they have human rights, and when they come across such cases, they will be able to do the right thing and make sure that the girls’ rights are protected.” Ms Fwoloshi added that the health and wellness programme, and foundation had also been training teachers on the same
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programme, and meet head teachers annually to review the statistics on how the schools have fared in pregnancies and early marriages compared with statistics from before the programme started. While FQM is proactive in implementing its community
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programmes it cannot effectively work without help from its stakeholders in the community. Local leaders play an important role in spreading messages and influencing the community positively and working with ministries ensures that all the programmes are implemented within the government policy framework.
DID YOU KNOW? ◙ Studies show that teenage pregnancies and early marriage have adverse impact on young people’s lives: their health, education, employment opportunities and overall wellbeing. ◙ FQM’s health and wellness promotion programmes target 21 government schools and three community schools in Kalumbila District. ◙ In 2019, more than 10,500 pupils – both boys and girls - were sensitised with information on sexual reproductive health in participating schools. ◙ 60 teachers have been trained on sexual reproductive health for sustainable information dissemination within the schools.
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ORPHANS BENEFIT FROM FQM WALK FOR WATER INITIATIVE
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nderprivileged children in Solwezi will have access to fresh clean water from new pumps and boreholes pledged by ‘Walk for Water’ initiative supported by First Quantum Minerals. The Emmanuel, Kilelabalanda, and Gigal orphanages in Solwezi district stand to receive the equipment, worth more than K230,000. The funds were raised by Kansanshi Mine through ‘Walk for Water’, a socially distanced event in which members of the Kansanshi community were encouraged to walk, jog, or cycle as much as possible over a four-week period. The mine pledged to donate K10 for every kilometre walked or run, and K5 for every kilometre cycled by participants between May 18 and June 14, 2020.
Kansanshi community members participated in the initiative
Members of the Kansanshi community covered 35,091 kilometres during the month-long event. Cyclists covered the greatest distance, at 23,867km, while runners and walkers completed 10,693km, and other sportspeople, including swimmers and rowers, completed 531km.
“When we started our challenge and fundraising activity, there were three registered orphanages in Solwezi that FQM’s sustainability programmes supported,” said James Stephenson, coordinator of Kansanshi’s sports foundation.
“This event was beneficial to our community in two important ways,” said event organiser Theresa Roomer. “Firstly, it helped people to stay fit and healthy, at a time when COVID-19 has ruled out most recreational activities. Secondly, it allowed us to contribute to a deeper cause: to lend a helping hand to some of our community’s most vulnerable members.”
“The one named Gigal Orphanage had some problems with sanitation, which is a big thing that we’ll be helping the orphanages with and had to re-home their children. They are hoping to re-open, out of town, in a few months and when COVID-19 restrictions die down. Meanwhile, the borehole work at Emmanuel Orphanage and Kilelabalanda Orphanage is underway. The children and carers are ‘pumped’!” Coach of the Kansanshi Cycling Team Joseph Daka said the event gave his athletes a source of motivation at a time when the lack of competition had become frustrating. FQM’s community development arm, Kansanshi Foundation, confirmed that the funds raised will cover the cost of the boreholes, and sourcing and installation is already underway.
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COMMUNITY
EDUCATION
24│ TOGETHER
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EDUCATION GOVERNMENT IMPRESSED BY FQM’S PASSION FOR EDUCATION
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irst Quantum Minerals has redoubled its efforts to engage with government through the Ministry of Education, as part of its education improvement programme in North-Western Province. The mining company has engaged extensively with the government over the years to keep them abreast of the sustainability programmes and community engagement projects spearheaded by its Trident and Kansanshi foundations in the areas around its Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila and Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi. “Through effective stakeholder engagement and working together, resources are optimised, and sustainable rural development achieved. The objectives of our livelihoods development programme include making a visible benefit around the community through a structured approach towards education support in a manner that will illustrate the much-needed mind-set transformation for rural development,” said Trident Foundation Manager Joseph Ngwira. Speaking at an engagement meeting with the Provincial Education Officer and the District Education Board Secretary, Mr Ngwira emphasised that FQM’s corporate policy guidelines for supporting communities where the company conducts business were for community benefit that would outlive the mine life.
The engagement meeting with the Provincial Education Officer (PEO) and the DEBS was aimed at enhancing the mining firm’s education support programme. The PEO was impressed by the passion for education being illustrated by FQM through the Trident Foundation and said the best way to say thank you would be to ensure that performance in supported schools improves. And the DEBS thanked the foundation for adopting an engagement strategy as this would ensure programme sustainability and promote other stakeholders to handle education support sustainably. “First Quantum has spent over US$100 million on sustainability and community development programmes by aligning the Kansanshi and Trident foundations’ programmes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As a company, we believe that true economic growth of a country is reflected in the
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state of health, education, agriculture, and quality of life that its citizens live. And apart from the government’s developmental programmes, social investment plays an important role in nurturing the growth of a country,” Mr Ngwira continued. In 2018, FQM partnered with Educore Foundation to strengthen access to quality education through the provision of support structures including technical assistance and targeted financial support to government schools. The partnership includes ‘in school’ and ‘out school’ educational support. All programmes components being implemented are described in an agreed annual operational plan. Programme components being implemented through the out of school support or community learning centres include early childhood education and adult education, open learning, and skills training. “Through foundation-supported programmes, mind-set transformation will be encouraged by mentorship so that beneficiaries understand the importance of developing into independent and responsible citizens. Skills development supported by Foundations doesn’t only cover the mainstream education sector but caters for community members being provided various skills such as farming as a business and tailoring,” he added.
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EDUCATION
EDUCATION
26│ TOGETHER
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AS SCHOOLS REMAINED CLOSED COUNTRYWIDE, LEARNING CONTINUED IN SOLWEZI
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world ▬ Nelson Mandela
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earning continued for most school-going children in Solwezi thanks to First Quantum Minerals’ “Schoolon-the-Radio”, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures.
First launched in May this year, the Kansanshi Foundationbacked initiative has received a positive reception from the government, as well as the Solwezi community, with an enrolment of over 42,000 pupils. “When government closed schools in March, as District Education Management, our major concern was on the negative impact this would have on the learners and the already existing learning gap between children in urban and rural areas. The initiative has certainly put our concerns at bay,” said Solwezi District Education Standards Officer Jonathan Kayuka. To make the teaching sessions more interactive, the learners are given an opportunity to phone in or send text messages during some sessions. According to Mr Kayuka, the reception on the ground has been overwhelming, Between June and July, Solwezi FCC Radio Station received about 18 calls per session from pupils in the lower primary grades (1 to 5), while calls from pupils in the grade 6 to 7 sessions doubled this number. Mr Kayuka added that the number of calls is representative of the reach of the programme in the district and a good indicator that the initiative is yielding the desired outcome. He commented that the initiative is not only enhancing the learners’ listening and speaking skills but is also building stronger links between parents and children as most parents listen in on the programme. Kansanshi Foundation’s Head of Education Dr Onward Mandebvu explained that the initiative has been designed with more interactive components to capture the attention of learners, particularly the youngest ones. The programmes are also designed to provide a platform for feedback from listeners.
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EDUCATION
“The success the initiative is having”, he said, “can be attributed to radio’s wide reach and relatively low need for technical know-how which makes its deployment faster and easier than scaling up internet connections.” Dr Mandebvu added that the Foundation is aware that some of the learners may not be able to afford to phone in during the selected interactive lessons, and the foundation has provided the radio station with enough talk-time to call back anyone who ‘beeps’ during the sessions. “This initiative has been modelled in such a way that every segment of the population is best served with due respect to the social economic situation of most families in the community. That way we do not leave anyone behind,” Dr Mandebvu further explained. In response to the education access challenges posed by the pandemic, the government has introduced an educational television channel for learners accessible on satellite television platforms. “Despite government’s efforts, certainly not all children have been able to access the virtual lessons offered through a medium like TV. After COVID-19, more than ever, it will be necessary to reassess how we can make the learning process more inclusive,” said Dr Mandebvu. The two partners, Kansanshi Foundation and the Solwezi District Education Management, hold periodical reviews of the initiative and are in the process of expanding the programme’s reach to neighbouring districts in the province.
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PEOPLE
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PEOPLE
DR GODWIN BEENE: FQM LEADER WITH PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE
Dr Godwin Mooba Beene, Government Affairs Specialist at First Quantum Minerals Zambia, is a walking example of success and has proven that hard work, dedication, and the right attitude are key traits to achievement.
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trong leaders and mentors also provide priceless insights—and he never forgets it! He is forging a path by offering vital support to FQM Country Manager General Kingsley Chinkuli in creating positive relationships between the government and the mining industry to ensure that policies are aligned for a ‘winwin’ outcome, since the country’s natural resources are vital to the national interest. His ability to negotiate outcomes from a pivotal position and to articulate medium and long-term corporate plans lies behind his success. Having served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines
from January 2009 to November 2011, Dr Beene is well-equipped for the job at hand, as familiarity with government operations and structures is key. He believes that in professional work it is always good to return to one’s origins, and that although mining is sometimes controversial, “when it sneezes, everyone in Zambia gets a cold”. “In our professional work and for some, in business, it is always a great thing to return to one’s origins, in my case, the mining industry, to perhaps stand in the gap for a sector strangely not loved greatly by the citizens. I operate from a central position of concerned parties, being able to articulate the company’s short, medium- and long-term corporate plans,” said Dr Beene. But Dr Beene did not start at the top, as he explained: “I didn’t fall out of the sky and become a top official in one of the biggest mines in Zambia overnight.” Born in 1954 in Makala village of Monze District, Southern Province, he started his education in 1961 under the Federal Government Education system and completed his primary education to enter the Jesuit St. Edmund’s Secondary School, one of the top secondary schools in Southern Province in 1971. He earned a scholarship and achieved an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at University of Wales, University College Swansea in the UK in 1981.
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Dr Beene embarked on working life in 1981 when he joined the then largest hydrometallurgical plant in Africa, the Nchanga Tailings Leach plant, as a graduate metallurgist, and rose to the position of Senior Assistant Metallurgical Engineer in 1984. In 1984, he benefited from a two-year Beit Trust scholarship and returned to his alma mater as a research fellow to study for an MSc degree. In January 1988, he was awarded a PhD in Chemical Engineering, after completing a thesis in the field of Surfaces and Colloids by developing a model to predict behaviour of a mineral system under a prescribed environment. However, his strong educational background presented its own challenges. “I was the only Zambian PhD holder in metallurgical plants across the industry, and I was young. I sensed that I was not really wanted; I was viewed as a threat and treated thus by colleagues and superiors alike”, he reminisces. This did not deter him, and although in those days wages were quite low and extra income only came through promotions to more senior positions, he was unwilling to take shortcuts of any form to a promotion, and chose to climb the ladder step-bystep, learning the importance of his superiors, peers, and juniors. Patience, hard work and exceptional performance paid off when in 1992 he was thrown in at the deep end with a promotion to Superintendent (Plant Manager) at the Luanshya concentrator. “I had never been an operator of a concentrator. My General Manager at Nchanga saw me for a moment and all he could say was ‘…go and run Luanshya Concentrator, don’t fail.’” Over the next three years he turned around the operations of a broken down and dysfunctional concentrator plant by cutting costs, improving labour productivity, and generally lifting the morale of workers during a depressed time for the company. As a result, he was transferred to Nchanga mine in 1995 to take charge of the biggest concentrators in the company which was, like Luanshya plant, in a state of disrepair.
At the height of the MMD goernment, privatisation of the mining industry commnced in 1996. Dr Beene was promoted to Nkana Division as Manager Metallurgy in charge of all metallurgical plants: concentrator, smelter, acid plants, copper refinery and two cobalt plants, the Analytical Services and Environmental Services. This was the hardest job he had ever held, but he was grateful to receive support from his Superintendents and General Manager, which eventually led to a record-breaking anode production of 150,000mt for the 1999-2000 financial year, when the operations were taken over by Glencore. Anglo America offered him a position of Manager Technical Services in its KCM Operations, responsible for metal accounting, tolling contracts, and metal quality. Fast forward four years… “I’ve worked through the ranks and grown through the ranks. I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to do things because of the mentoring from my superiors, which really helped to catapult my career….” He remained focused, ambitious, with an eagerness to learn, and developed a strong interest in the management of people, which he believes is the most critical resource in the workplace. “I focus on people a lot. One of my core strengths is allowing people to do what they need to do to perform. When employees understand the ins and outs of what it takes to run and maintain a mine, the outcome is usually far greater. You can only learn something by being thrown in the deep end of the pool. You cannot keep people standing up and try to teach them everything without putting them in the water. I invested a lot of time at the company’s library at Technical Services in Kalulushi, reading practical materials on human resource management, peak performance, industrial relations, project management and process improvement methodologies and learnt when to put fires under the feet of my subordinates and when to catch them doing something great …,” he said. Dr Beene described the three years
PEOPLE
he spent in Government as the most challenging in his working career. Most of his tenure as Permanent Secretary was dedicated to improving relations with new and existing investors and promoting investment in the sector, In this brief period, a tremendous effort was made to promote countrywide geological survey, exploration of uranium, coal and for the first time, Zambia advertised its oil and gas blocks to investors. “The ground-breaking ceremony at Kalumbila, Lubambe, and the Maamba coal mine power plant, the recommissioning of Munali Nickel Mine among others, remain fresh in my mind as milestones in a rejuvenated Zambian mining sector.” A key consideration in the effort to attract investors back to the mining sector was to demonstrate that the Zambian mining sector was transparent, and registration with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) started in earnest. The initiative found support from both the industry and civil society organisations and Zambia published its first EITI Report in 2010. Dr Beene is credited as one of the founders of the modernised Engineering Institute of Zambia. In 1989, along with colleagues, he set out to restructure the institute, originally established in 1955. He took on the mantle of Secretary of the Institution, running the Secretariat from his study room at home for nearly 10 years. “Working closely with another visionary engineer, over a period of fourteen years we transformed the professional body to what it is today – the Engineering Institution of Zambia with its Engineering Registration Board.” Looking back over his life and where he is now, Dr Beene said he is privileged to have received a sponsored education. He places great value on education and supported an initiative to set up the Amano Christian School in Chingola (where to date he remains a Trustee), and also contributed to the acquisition of the former Kalulushi Mine Trust School, which has become one of the best private secondary schools on the Copperbelt and where he remains a Trustee.
PEOPLE
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KAKOMA WINS PRESTIGIOUS ROWING SCHOLARSHIP
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ark Kakoma of Kansanshi Rowing Club has won a full scholarship for the prestigious True Athlete Project. Kakoma is a 10th grade student at Trident College, Solwezi, and has won medals at the Zambian Rowing National Championships, The Zimbabwe Rowing National Championships, and reached the A finals of the South African National Schools Regatta, which sees some of the toughest junior rowing competition in the world. Kakoma gained his start in rowing through the Kansanshi Rowing Club, a product of Kansanshi Mine’s corporate social responsibility efforts. The rowing club has opened the door to a sport that has not generally been accessible in Zambia and made world-class coaching available to students in Solwezi. “I believe that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not,” said Kakoma, who is aware of the value of, and the need for more such programmes in Zambia. “I would just like to say thank you to my coaches, and to everyone who made this possible,” said Kakoma. The scholarship will see Kakoma paired with an ex-Olympic rower in a mentor/mentee relationship to provide valuable guidance in his personal and athletic development.
“He is a good athlete and will likely lead the way for Zambian rowing over the next decade at least. However, the True Athlete Project is geared at helping him develop the mental side of sport and life,” said rowing coach and coordinator of the Kansanshi Sports Foundation James Stephenson. The True Athlete project is a global initiative that combines the efforts of coaches, athletes, psychologists, and policymakers to positively transform the culture of sport around the world. Their approach aims to improve mental wellbeing and cultivate compassion, as opposed to focusing on the purely competitive aspects of sport. The mentorship Kakoma will receive should have a positive impact on Zambia’s sporting landscape for decades to come.
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Mark Kakoma with teammate, Lara Liechti, at the 2019 Livingstone sports festival
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FEATURE
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FEATURE
NSANSHI ART: A HOPE FOR WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY
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t Kansanshi Hill 2,000 years ago, women worked an empowering craft. They mined and smelted copper, crafted it into jewellery and Katanga Crosses, also known as Nsanshi, and traded it with travellers. More than a millennium before a single European is known to have set foot in sub-Saharan Africa, Kansanshi copper had made its way as far as Israel. It would be bold to idealise the society that mined and traded copper here so long ago, by assuming that through their craft these women and girls escaped abuse and defilement. It is a hallmark of our era that we are only just waking up to the prevalence of these issues. Yet still, there may be just a thread of hope in their story.
Beyond its direct impact on the women it supports, Nsanshi Art may serve as a proof of concept in Zambia’s economy, as it shows that Zambia is capable of processing copper into high value products before export.
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The employment of women, and the financial independence that comes with it, has an inverse relationship with gender-based violence. That is to say, women who are able to earn a living are less likely to fall victim to, and much, much less likely to become trapped within, abusive domestic situations. It is not a panacea, but women’s employment is an important part of the fight against gender-based violence. Increasing the proportion of women in the working population has, in fact, been shown to bring a range of benefits to society and the economy, though in this piece we’ll focus on one in particular: having somewhere to go. Consider for a moment the plight of any woman or girl who has survived domestic abuse or defilement. Perhaps she has dependents and works unpaid to care for them. Perhaps she lacks the qualifications to compete in the job market and support herself. Her home is not a safe place, and yet she has no means to move. According to the Young Women’s Christian Association’s North-Western coordinator Chileshe Mwaka, it is this trap that many victims find themselves in, and not all have the courage to come forward. In NorthWestern Province alone, over 50 women and girls present themselves to the YWCA each month, seeking salvation. The actual number of victims is thought to be much higher. For those who do come forward, Nsanshi Art may offer the support that they need. At its conception, Nsanshi Art employed a skilled jeweller to train nine young women from the surrounding community. As the factory approaches completion, the number will rise to 20. As the ladies’ skills improve, the jewellery will be made available for direct sale to the public, generating revenue to help more survivors find their way. FQM’s Kansanshi Mine already provides extensive funding and logistical support to the YWCA’s efforts in the North-Western Province. The mine currently enables 350 girls from vulnerable situations to attend school and has built a one-stop centre for gender-based violence survivors at Solwezi General Hospital. To be truly effective, though, any CSR programme must foster independence in the community it supports, and therein lies the strength of Nsanshi Art. Its potential to generate its own funding through sales means that it will continue to fund the fight against GBV long after the mine has run its course.
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Through its support of the YWCA, Kansanshi mine has given GBV survivors a haven and funded their education. The next step in securing a future for survivors is to aid them in finding employment. This has long been a challenge. A little-known fact of Zambia’s employment profile is that over a third of women classified as employed do not have an employer or a registered business. They are considered employed because they engage, on their own, in informal trades such as selling vegetables or charcoal. They receive no stable wage, they have no insurance, and many are below the breadline. To ensure the long-term safety of survivors is to ensure that they do not fall into this category. To do that, Nsanshi Art is creating an industry that will train and support them. Beyond its direct impact on the women it supports, Nsanshi Art may serve as a proof of concept in Zambia’s economy, as it shows that Zambia is capable of processing copper into high value products before export. Virtually every Zambian development plan has mentioned the need to increase the value added locally to Zambia’s copper, and yet one simple factor has prevented it from happening. The market value for copper semimanufactures (wire, pipes, etc.) tends to be only slightly (10 percent in 2017) higher than the market value for the metal itself. Such a narrow margin for profit makes it much more lucrative for such processing to be done in conjunction with the next step of manufacture: incorporating those semi-manufactures into more valuable products such as cars and appliances. At its simplest, this is why Zambia’s copper leaves the country as it does, rather than being processed further first. Making jewellery, though, adds very significant value to copper, and allows it to be sold directly to the consumer. Nsanshi Art sits at the junction where history, economics, and social welfare collide. It revives an art form that has existed on Zambian soil for millennia, offers salvation to some of our most vulnerable citizens today, and in doing so, proves that Zambia is capable of more than just extraction. It is a fascinating glimpse into the past, and a promising glimpse into the future.
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HOW FQM IS BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
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istorically, the mining sector has played a key role in building infrastructure for the development of communities around its mines, including roads, houses, and schools.
In a developing country like Zambia, one area where mining revenues can have particularly transformative developmental impacts is in health. As the biggest mining company in Zambia, First Quantum Minerals has prioritised healthcare as one of the key areas to foster human development. The mining company’s community development activities, particularly on healthcare services, are hinged on creating healthy and thriving communities. “To be productive, safe, responsible, and sustainable, our operations must live alongside healthy and thriving communities,” explained FQM Country Manager General Kingsley Chinkuli. First Quantum has spent millions of dollars on developing and improving infrastructure of healthcare facilities in and around its mining operations in Solwezi and Kalumbila districts. More recently, Kalumbila Mine handed over three health posts in Kalumbila district to the Zambian government. The handover included a staff house, clinic, incinerator, and ablution facilities at each of the health posts, all equipped with the much-needed medical equipment. FQM also stepped up its support to government in the fight against COVID-19 with the US$85,298 renovation of Solwezi School of Nursing by Kansanshi Mining Plc, which was handed over to the provincial leadership to be used as a COVID-19 isolation facility. In 2019, FQM extended financial support to infrastructure development that saw the upgrade of Solwezi General Hospital into a modern health facility with a high-cost ward with a bed capacity of 24. The works also included the restoration of water reticulation at the hospital.
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The company also funded reconstruction of the hospital’s maternity ward following a heavy storm that destroyed the facility in March 2019, spending US$170,000; contractors and suppliers that deal with the mine donated a further US$80,000, bringing the total to US$250,000. This money went towards actual reconstruction of the maternity ward, reinstallation of electrical wiring and fittings, fitting of new roofing sheets and trusses, purchase of new beds, mattresses and other furniture and fittings, medical equipment and machinery, new incubators, and replacement of damaged PVC floor tiles with a medically friendly epoxy floor. Meanwhile, FQM’s two well-equipped, well-stocked and professionally staffed mobile healthcare vehicles take healthcare to the communities in most need. “Improving infrastructure requires a significant investment and strategic partnerships,” said the Country Manager. “With our operations in some of the least developed parts of the country, we know the most significant contribution we can make to communities is by supporting the development of key infrastructure through leveraging our core business to make a positive development impact.” “As custodians of much of Zambia’s mineral resources, the mining industry has a responsibility to ensure that the benefits of mining can be seen and felt by the communities
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in which we operate. Our objective as a company is to do so in such a way that we can make a real and positive difference for people today, and in years to come,” said Gen. Chinkuli. To provide maximum impact, the mining giant works with national and local government, community leaders, and NGOs to contribute to community needs: from housing and infrastructure to healthcare, education, and recreation. “Our community development programmes are developed through a consultative process with local municipalities as well as through regular interaction with host communities to ensure that the identified projects are sustainable and in line with their needs,” stressed Gen. Chinkuli. First Quantum’s activities in health include working towards the prevention of HIV/AIDS, strengthening primary healthcare and providing meaningful and effective healthcare and support to employees, their families and host communities. FQM spent around US$1.3 million on community health programmes in 2019. Of this, approximately 80 percent was allocated to the delivery of clinical and community-based health services, with the balance going to prevention and education programmes.
OPERATION
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OPERATION
INSIDE KALUMBILA MINERALS PROCESS PLANT
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entinel’s Kalumbila concentrator boasts of the biggest mineral processing facility in the country and amongst the biggest in world. Huge investments were made in the concentrator equipping it with state of the art equipment with high levels of automation. This was necessary due to the low grade nature of ore fed to concentrator and its associated mineralogy complexity. For such a low grade deposit economies of scale are cardinal thus the concentrator processes large volumes for the operation to be viable. The process plant has a target throughput rate of 55Mtpa of ore at an average grade of 0.5% copper. To process the required
volumes, the plant has these major processing units with their auxiliaries. • Three gyratory primary crushers. • Two secondary and one pebble crushers. • Two SAG’s and two Ball mills. • Rougher, scavenger and cleaner flotation circuits. • Concentrate handling. • Tailings dewatering and disposal. • Reagent mixing, storage and distribution. • Water and power supply. • Other services. The plant has three semi mobile in-pit crusher delivering to a crushed ore stockpile with a live capacity of 80,000 tonnes with a fourth crusher on the cards for next year. The primary mills draw feed from this stockpile and are open circuited to feed the ball mills. Part of the primary crusher product reports through the secondary crushers while the pebble crusher receives pebbles rejected from the SAG mills. Products of these crushers join the main feed stream to the ore stockpile. Plans are in place to increase the treatment capacity to 62Mtpa over the next few years, with minimal upgrades of major equipment.
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OPERATION
Figure 1: In-pit crushers. The milling plant is in a SABC circuit, operating with two parallel trains, each comprising a 28MW SAG mill and a 22MW ball mill, all four mills installed have cutting edge gearless mill drive technology. This is to maintain high availability, lower operational cost and high performance to produce a final grind of 80% passing 212 microns required for flotation.
Figure 2: Mills. The flotation circuit has two trains of rougher-scavenger flotation cells, each comprising fourteen cells of 300 cubic meters’ capacity, followed by three stages of cleaning designed to achieve a recovery of over 90% and producing a concentrate of plus 25% copper. Final product concentrate is dewatered and filtered in a 28m diameter thickener and two Air pressure filters respectively prior to shipping to the smelters. Modifications were made to the original circuit to improve concentrate quality and recovery by adding two column cells as the final cleaning stage. Additionally, a Jameson cell was also retrofitted into the flow sheet and receives rougher concentrate as feed. The Jameson concentrate can be sent as final product or is re-cleaned in the columns depending on quality.
Tailings are dewatered in three 50m diameter high rate thickeners prior to discharge to the tailings storage facility. The number of thickener online is a function of mill throughput. Associated services like the reagents mixing and storage systems, portable water treatment plant and process/ plant water reticulation systems are an integral part of the plant. Figure 3: Final concentrate product in the shed.
NEWS
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CONTACT US Editor Mirriam Harmon Editorial, design and layout: Langmead & Baker Ltd
Address Trident Foundation Kalumbila North-Western Province Zambia
Contact info Phone- +260 974113728 EMail- info@langmead.com
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