Konkola Copper Mine is grave digger of Hichilema’s political career – Musonda

Political commentator and long-time critic of the government’s mining policies, James Musonda, has described Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) as the “grave digger” of President Hakainde Hichilema’s political career.

Reacting to a recent court ruling that allowed Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) to recover part of its US$29.6 million debt from KCM, Musonda accused President Hichilema of overpromising Zambians on the mine’s revival.

“I have always said that KCM is the grave digger of President Hichilema and the UPND’s political survival,” Musonda said in an exclusive interview with Zambia Monitor.

“The issues at KCM will persist because of the calibre of the investor involved.

He said it was unfair to blame CEC for demanding what is owed, describing its pursuit of the debt as a legitimate attempt to protect shareholder interests.

“Supporters of UPND should blame the current situation on government recklessness. You cannot hand over a mine to Vedanta, a failed investor who previously mismanaged KCM,” Musonda argued.

He claimed Vedanta returned to the Zambian mining sector with a tainted record and warned that more problems were on the horizon.

“This is just the beginning. Government made numerous promises. We now have challenges at both Mopani and KCM. Meanwhile, major deals like the Lobito Corridor and the electric battery initiative remain clouded in secrecy,” he added.

His comments come amid renewed debate following confirmation by CEC that it received a partial payment of US$10.36 million from KCM toward the court-ordered US$11.84 million instalment.

CEC’s Head of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Verona Mwila-Nkolola, confirmed that an outstanding balance of US$1.48 million remains unpaid.

The dispute has divided public opinion, with some blaming CEC for pursuing enforcement too aggressively, while others fault Vedanta for failing to honour commitments.

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