(4 minutes read)
- Vedanta Resources Limited, which has heavily invested in copper mines in Zambia is facing an uphill task even with the change of government in the southern African country, if one goes by utterances of some of the social activists and academicians
- Associate Professor in the School of Mines at the Copperbelt University – CBU Peter Chileshe has advised Government to first look at Vedanta Resources Limited’s records in all the countries it has operated in or is operating before making a decision on the way forward for Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM)
Vedanta Resources Limited, which has heavily invested in copper mines in Zambia is facing an uphill task even with the change of government in the southern African country, if one goes by utterances of some of the social activists and academicians. Associate Professor in the School of Mines at the Copperbelt University – CBU Peter Chileshe has advised Government to first look at Vedanta Resources Limited’s records in all the countries it has operated in or is operating before making a decision on the way forward for Konkola Copper Mines Plc (KCM).
Prof. Chileshe said currently Vedanta does not have a social license to operate at KCM. This, according to him, meant that the citizens around the mine area were totally against the company. The Government, he argued, should balance the realities on the ground in Chililabombwe and Chingola and then the capacity for Vedanta to pledge and actually act on the pledge. Vedanta was there in Zambia for about 15 years.
The academic said that the new Government should look at everything from an objective point of view and assess their functioning in countries like India, South Africa and other places and judge their functioning and social commitment. He said that the citizens in Chingola and Chililabombwe were totally against Vedanta, despite them operating for 15 years or so.
There are reports that the new government may take a favourable view on Vedanta Resources, in view of the role the company has played in augmenting copper mining in the country. The appeal made by the academician should be seen from this perspective. Some business analysts are of the view that there is hectic lobbying taking place against Vedanta by some vested interests, who are interested in taking over the company once Vedanta is forced to exit.
