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Former Kamfinsa lawmaker, Christopher Kang’ombe ,has questioned the feasibility of Zambia achieving its ambitious target of producing three million tonnes of copper annually by 2031, citing the slow pace of production growth in the mining sector.
His concerns followed the proposed 2027 national budget in which Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane maintained that the three-million-tonne target remained within reach, with Government setting a copper production target of 930,000 tonnes for 2027.
However, Kang’ombe, an economic policy enthusiast, said copper production had increased by only 4.5 percent when comparing the 890,000 tonnes recorded in 2025 with the projected 930,000 tonnes for 2026.
He said sustaining that rate of growth over the next five years would leave the country significantly below its three-million-tonne ambition.
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“This increment, if sustained for five years, means that we will only reach about 1.3 million tonnes by 2031, which is below our three-million-tonne target,” he said.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Kang’ombe said Zambia would need to achieve average annual production growth of about 26 percent to reach the target in line with the Grow Zambia Agenda.
He said Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) was still falling short of expected production levels, adding that its Mufulira and Kitwe operations would need to significantly increase output in 2027.
Kang’ombe also observed that Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) was producing below anticipated levels but had the potential to improve its output.
He said First Quantum Minerals’ operations, including Kansanshi and Trident, remained among the country’s leading copper producers but that their output alone was insufficient to bridge the gap.
“The super pit project at Barrick Lumwana is likely to deliver better copper production, but I am not sure if output will achieve the required 26 percent growth,” he said.
Kang’ombe said Luanshya Copper Mine was also producing copper but its current output was insufficient to make a substantial contribution towards the national target.
“Let’s see what numbers Shaft 28 project will contribute once operational. Lubambe in Chililabombwe has been in production but not enough material to close our deficit,” he said.
He added that all mining companies, including NFCA, would need to increase their annual copper production by about 26 percent to enable Zambia to achieve the three-million-tonne target within five years.
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