Government open to dialogue with mines

Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu has reiterated that government remains open to dialogue with investors in the mining industries on specific challenges affecting the sector.

Mr Mubukwanu says there is a lot of investor confidence in the mining industry as demonstrated by the levels of investment in the sector.

The minister was speaking in Mazabuka when he received a new school and clinic built by the Munali Nickel Mine through the Mugoto Foundation Trust.

The infrastructure that is meant to service villagers that were displaced from the mining area was built at a total cost of K 10.66 million.

Mr Mubukwanu assured management at the Munali Nickel Mine that he will forward to the relevant authorities the challenges that the mine faces in order to resume operations.

He said government is eager to see the mine resume operations because its activities will benefit the local community and the country in social economic investment and employment.

And the minister has assured villagers of Mugoto that government will deploy staff both at the new school and clinic to ensure that the infrastructure benefits the people.

The school which will offer grades One to Twelve classes has the capacity of accommodating about 500 pupils while about 2,000 villagers are expected to benefit from accessing health care from the facility.

Speaking at the same function, Mazabuka Central Member of Parliament Garry Nkombo urged the Munali Nickel Mine management to ensure completion of the remaining works at the clinic.

Mr Nkombo said he was aware that not all the funds released towards the project had been expended hence the need to ensure that all the required infrastructure is put in place.