Mopani is a definition of Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, “If we don’t handle our independence very well, colonisers will come back in form of investors!”
Lusaka, Feb. 20 – Prof. Clive Chirwa’s clarion call must be supported by all progressive thinking Zambian leaders. Africa imports into the continent about 94% of copper wire and cables for building construction. This is a US$50bn per year market.
“I was astonished to see Mopani in its faded light. It was a sad story that has to be regenerated in national interest. I have a plan of how to revive the mining company under 100% ownership by ZCCM-IH!” Prof. Clive Chirwa intimated.
Also Read: A puppet of our former colonisers cannot develop Zambia, Hichilema is a liability!
“If we don’t handle our independence very well, colonisers will come back in form of investors!” – Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe. The Lobito Corridor is meant to facilitate the interests of the West, smuggling our mineral resources.
Zambians must reject Hakainde Hichilema’s inferiority complex. Only Zambians can develop Zambia Mopani is a Zambian company, period. Let’s put Zambia in the hands of Zambians. Allow us to share Prof. Clive Chirwa’s views on Mopani, and he says…
“Here are simple draft calculations I have carried out showing Mopani
can remain Zambian for good and prosper bringing into the Zambian Revenue Authority coffers the revenue in Billions of Dollars every year since we have already paid U$$1.5bn in 2021 for it.
I was recently at Mopani Mufulira division, the town I was born in and the town that gave me the education and built my
solid foundation that has propelled me to be one of the five specialists in my field in the world.
As an engineer, I have designed, constructed, and written some of the developed and developing countries Industrialisation plans. I am talking from a position of authority in this engineering subject that involves post mining wealth creation for a nation.
I was astonished to see Mopani in that faded light. It was a sad story that has to be regenerated in national interest. I have a plan of how to revive the mining company under 100% ownership by ZCCM-IH PIc.
The sum of money associated with these problems is minute and obtainable within the current monetary framework of
the company.
Indeed, solvable with minimal expenditure by Mopani and with some inputs by the government. The company has all the money in-house and can capitalise its assets freely.
Finance and Labour are not part of the problems. Here are simple draft calculations I have carried out showing Mopani can remain Zambian for good and prosper bringing into the Zambian Revenue Authority coffers the revenue in Billions of Dollars every year since we have already paid U$$1.5 Billion in 2021 for it.
This is a Zambian company period.
Here are the calculations to support my decision:
◾1. The current production at Mopani has fallen to around 80,000 MT. The potential is 250,000 MT and the target for
this analysis is 200,000 MT based on the current capable local ore deposit and concentration. The fall in production is unfortunate.
◾2. The Market is not Europe nor Asia nor America. The market is Africa. According; courtesy of Market Watch, ICF Congress, Fortune Business Insights and Industry Arc., to quantifiable market research, Africa imports into the continent about 94% of copper wire and cables for building construction. This is a US$50bn per year market.
In copper tonnage, the African wire Market amounts to 5,274,725 MT of copper per year if we take the price of copper on 20 February 2024 to be US$8190.00 per MT. What we need as Zambia is to capture this market, but we
can only afford to capture 3.2% that brings us to what we can manage at Mopani that comes to 200,791 MT as
◾3. US currently targeted or captured 1.28% for 80,317 MT. The Zambian Revenue for selling pure copper on the London Metal exchange was 200,000 MT @ US$8,190 = US$1,638,000,000
This 100% ownership by ZCCH-IH Plc if 51% is sold, the revenue to foreign investor is US$835,380 000; and for Zambia’s 49%, the revenue is US$802,620,000.
◾4. Taking into account the Mopani capability, production deliverables, manpower, finance, the targeted market size for Zambia of 3.2% and 1.28%, the copper wire industry at Mopani will result in greater benefits than mere selling
copper cathodes and substrates.”
The discussion above is enough evidence that Zambia is under a wrong leadership! What Zambia needs is a new home bred governance system that must prioritize development over politics of patronage.
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