Kikonge Gold Mine infrastructure 80% complete as ZCCM-IH invests US$2 million
Infrastructure development at the Kikonge Gold Mine Project in Mufumbwe District, North-Western Province, has reached 80% completion, with ZCCM Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH) investing US$2 million towards the project’s development.
The progress was disclosed during a stakeholder engagement meeting held in Mufumbwe on September 14, jointly hosted by ZCCM-IH and the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.
The meeting brought together mining cooperatives and other stakeholders to discuss developments at Kikonge, the formalisation of gold mining and opportunities for local participation in the sector.
ZCCM-IH Chief Executive Officer Kakenenwa Muyangwa said the investment is supporting key infrastructure, equipment and facilities required for mining and gold processing activities at the project.
He said construction of the main access road to the Kikonge mine is approximately 80% complete, while work on a dam is also under way.
ZCCM-IH is further supporting the project with mineral processing equipment intended to strengthen mining and gold processing activities.
Focus on formalising gold mining
The development of Kikonge is also linked to efforts to bring artisanal and small-scale gold mining into the formal economy.
Muyangwa said ZCCM-IH’s investment forms part of its broader commitment to supporting the formalisation and sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale mining while creating opportunities for greater local participation in Zambia’s gold value chain.
Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary Hapenga Kabeta said illegal gold mining activities at Kikonge had been stopped following the deployment of military personnel.
He said the government, through ZCCM-IH, was putting systems in place to ensure gold produced at Kikonge and elsewhere in Zambia is formally purchased and traded.
Formalising the sector is expected to improve accountability in gold production and trading while enabling government, mining cooperatives and surrounding communities to capture more value from the country’s gold resources.
The ongoing infrastructure development and investment at Kikonge mark another step in Zambia’s efforts to establish a more structured gold-mining sector, with the project expected to provide infrastructure and processing capacity to support formal mining activities in the area.
