Zambia’s Hichilema Warns Mining Companies Against Hoarding Mineral Licences

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has warned mining companies against holding mineral licences without developing their projects, saying the Government will enforce a “use it or lose it” policy to unlock investment, boost production and create jobs.

Speaking at the 2026 Zambia Mining and Investment Insaka in Lusaka, Hichilema said Zambia could achieve its target of producing three million metric tonnes of copper annually by reviving stalled projects, expanding existing operations and accelerating mineral exploration across the country.

He highlighted the revival of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and the Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) as important steps towards the target. Stakeholders had agreed that the mine should contribute 300,000 tonnes of copper to national production, he said.

The President also called on mining companies to strengthen their contribution to local economic development by prioritising employment, skills training and contracts for domestic businesses. He argued that these measures offered communities more sustainable benefits than conventional corporate social responsibility initiatives focused on individual donations.

He pointed to Lumwana Mine and the US$1.3 billion S3 expansion at Kansanshi Mine as examples of projects creating opportunities for local contractors and young people across mining operations, manufacturing and supply chains.

Hichilema also cited the Kitumba Greenfield project in Mumbwa District, which was unlocked after years of litigation, as evidence that resolving investment bottlenecks could stimulate economic activity beyond Zambia’s established mining centres.

To encourage further exploration, the Government has invested nearly US$100 million in a nationwide, high-resolution geophysical mapping survey covering Zambia’s 752,000 square kilometres. The initiative aims to reduce exploration risks and improve the country’s attractiveness to mining investors.
Zambia, Botswana and DRC Push for Regional Mining Cooperation
Regional cooperation was another major focus of the meeting, with Hichilema urging Zambia, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to develop cross-border joint ventures and harmonise standards in critical minerals and energy.

He said reliable electricity generation, shared transmission infrastructure and an open-access energy market would be essential to supporting deep-level mining and mineral beneficiation. Processing minerals locally before export, he added, would help the region capture more value from its natural resources.

Botswana’s Minister of Minerals and Energy, Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, who represented President Duma Gideon Boko, echoed the call for stronger regional integration and greater investment in local processing, manufacturing and technology.

Kenewendo said Africa had historically exported raw materials while other economies captured much of the value through processing and industrial development. She argued that the continent needed to move beyond this model to generate more employment, strengthen domestic industries and retain a greater share of mineral revenues.

She noted that Botswana, traditionally reliant on diamonds, was diversifying into copper, base metals and critical minerals. The strategy aims to strengthen Botswana’s position, alongside the wider Southern African Development Community (SADC), as a competitive mining and industrial investment destination.

DRC Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba highlighted the shared mineral potential of the Copperbelt stretching between Kolwezi in the DRC and Ndola in Zambia. The area contains significant deposits of copper, cobalt and other minerals essential to the global energy transition.

Kabamba said the success of mining should be measured not only by production and export revenues, but also by the jobs, infrastructure and technical skills generated within local economies.

He called on Zambia and the DRC to pursue complementary industrial development rather than compete unnecessarily, pointing to a proposed battery and electric vehicle value-chain project linking Musompo and Ndola.

He also stressed the need for reliable rail infrastructure to reduce truck congestion at border crossings, particularly Kasumbalesa. Stronger cooperation in geological research, mineral traceability and efforts to combat illicit mineral trading would further support regional development, he said.

The discussions underscored a shared ambition among the three countries to move beyond raw mineral exports towards greater local processing, industrialisation and participation in global critical-mineral supply chains.