Underground operations at Mopani Copper Mines’ Mufulira mine can resume immediately, Zambia’s mining regulator announced on Monday, 16th February, following the implementation of enhanced safety protocols.
The Minerals Regulation Commission had suspended operations last week, citing the company’s failure to comply with safety regulations, particularly the requirement to maintain an accurate system to account for all underground workers.
In a statement issued on Monday, the regulator confirmed that Mopani had introduced improved safety measures, including technology to verify that the mine is cleared two hours after each shift and the installation of closed-circuit television systems to monitor underground activity.
The commission said these steps comply with Mining Regulation 218 and ensure a safe working environment for miners. A spokesperson for Mopani Copper Mines was not immediately available for comment. Mopani is among the largest copper producers in Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper-producing nation and a key supplier of the metal critical to clean energy technologies.
In 2024, United Arab Emirates-based International Resources Holding acquired a 51 per cent stake in Mopani in a $1.1 billion deal, with the remaining shares held by ZCCM Investments Holdings.
Zambia produced approximately 890.000 metric tonnes of copper last year and has set an ambitious target of increasing annual output to three million tonnes by 2031.