Kalaba Copper project in Mwinilinuga district is expected to create over 200 permanent jobs once complete says Zamsort Limited and Arc Minerals.

And Arc Minerals executive chairman Nick Von Schirnding says Zamsort Limited and Arc Minerals have invested over $10 million in the construction of a copper-cobalt leach plant in Mwinilunga district.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba has urged the two companies to expedite the development of the plant, in order to benefit from the current high copper and cobalt prices.

According to a statement issued by Zambia’s first secretary for press and public relations Naomi Nyawali, Monday, the duo were speaking at the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa when they paid a courtesy call on Mwamba.

Schirnding said the copper-cobalt project had reached 85 percent completion point and was expected to commence full operations in October this year.

He said Zamsort Limited and Arc Minerals had so far invested over $10 million in the construction of a copper-cobalt leach plant located in Mwinilunga district of North-Western province.

Schirnding noted that the Kalaba Copper project would empower local communities through job creation and provision of loans.

“Kalaba Copper project will empower local communities through job creation and provision of loans to the local people in order to improve local businesses. An additional 150 indirect jobs are expected to be created through contractors in the first phase of the project,” he said.

And Zamsort Company Secretary and Director of Finance, Brian Chisala said the Kalaba leach plant project would produce both copper and cobalt concentrate once fully operational.

He said the partnership of the two companies would produce a hybrid mining company which would carry out exploration and production activities to ensure that operations were sustained.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba urged the two companies to expedite the development of the plant in order to benefit from the current high copper and cobalt prices.

He expressed happiness that the partnership had resulted into a formation of one of the biggest mining companies to have come out of Zambia recently.

Mwamba urged ZCCM-IH and other parastatal companies to consider buying shares in the company in order to improve their financial and asset portfolio and provide Zambians with a stake in the company.