KCM Hails President Hichilema’s Support for Accelerated KDMP Progress
Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has welcomed President Hakainde Hichilema’s directive to expedite progress on the Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP), as the company aims to ramp up annual copper production to 300,000 tonnes by 2031.
The President made the remarks during his visit to the KCM stand at the 97th Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show, where he expressed optimism about KCM’s progress and commended the mining giant for its renewed investment drive and revival of critical operations under Vedanta Resources.
“Well done! For your dewatering projects, you can work with the team that is already doing it so that you can share notes on how to pump out large volumes of water. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” President Hichilema said, referring to the technical challenge of dewatering the KDMP site — a long-standing obstacle to the project’s advancement.
KCM has already made strides toward restarting KDMP, collaborating closely with key business partners to re-establish training systems and operational capacity. The company is on track to execute its first blast in the third quarter of 2025, a critical step in its capital investment strategy.
To date, nearly US$400 million has been injected into KCM operations, demonstrating the company’s commitment to increasing copper output and contributing significantly to Zambia’s economy. Vedanta Resources, which owns 79.49% of KCM in partnership with ZCCM-IH (20.6%), has pledged over US$1 billion toward revitalizing Zambia’s copper industry.
High-profile dignitaries who visited the KCM exhibition stand included Botswana President and Guest of Honour Advocate Duma Boko, Zambia’s Minister of Finance and National Planning Hon. Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Rodney Sikumba, Minister of Tourism Hon. Rodney Sikumba, and Lusaka Mayor Chilando Chitangala.
“KCM remains steadfast in its mission to unlock the full potential of KDMP and contribute to national development through sustainable mining,” said Victoria Kabwe Zimba, KCM Public Relations and Communications Manager.
The KDMP, located in Chililabombwe, is poised to become a cornerstone of Zambia’s copper production strategy, with expectations of creating jobs, supporting local supply chains, and strengthening the mining sector’s role in national growth.
