10 Miners Killed In Kitwe

Ten zambians have been killed and another 10 injured after a dumping site for copper mining waste collapsed in Kitwe this morning. 

“The incident happened this morning and at least 10 people have been confirmed dead,” Copperbelt police chief Charity Katanga.

At present we are Africa’s second largest copper producer and house the operations of many global mining companies including Vedanta, Barrick Gold Corp and Glencore

Glencore’s Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) has been forced to halt production in recent years due to similar fatal incidents in the copper-rich area, which is also know for illegal mining around the dumpsites.

The latest incident happened at Black Mountain where artisanal miners have taken to re-mining the waste site for copper and other metals. Many are resorting to susbsistance or artisanal mining due to increasingly high levels of unemployment. 

In February the PF government mining investment arm gave a 10 percent stake in the waste site to small-scale miners to empower surrounding communities riven by unemployment and poverty.

There are still serious concerns about whether or not we have stringent enough health and safety policies.