Zambia’s newly appointed Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Brenda Tambatamba has called for teamwork, accountability and commitment among ministry officials and mining sector institutions to accelerate the country’s ambition of producing three million tonnes of copper annually by 2031.
Ms Tambatamba said achieving the target required collective responsibility, strong institutional coordination and dedication from all stakeholders in the mining sector.
Speaking when she met senior management team at the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development headquarters in Lusaka on Monday, Ms Tambatamba said the mining sector remained a critical driver of Zambia’s economy through revenue generation, foreign exchange earnings, employment creation and investment attraction.
She said the sector played a significant role in supporting other economic sectors and financing national development priorities, including free education, employment creation and social protection programmes.
Ms Tambatamba noted that the country’s aspirations under Vision 2030 and the Eighth National Development Plan could only be achieved if all sectors worked together to strengthen economic productivity.
She said the three-million-tonne copper production target was not merely a mining ambition but an important economic objective with the potential to stimulate growth across other sectors, including agriculture.
The Minister emphasised the importance of teamwork, stating that every individual and institution had a specific responsibility to fulfil in contributing to the country’s development agenda.
She urged ministry officials to remain committed to their duties, stressing that the failure of one individual or institution to perform could negatively affect the performance of others.
Ms Tambatamba also expressed gratitude to President Hakainde Hichilema for entrusting her with the responsibility of leading the Ministry, saying she was ready to work closely with technical experts and other stakeholders to provide the necessary policy direction and leadership.
She further called for a culture of continuous learning, knowledge sharing, professionalism and accountability, adding that the Ministry needed to operate as one team despite the different departments, commissions and institutions within the mining sector.
Ms Tambatamba reaffirmed her commitment to working with ministry officials and other stakeholders to advance the mining sector and contribute to Zambia’s broader economic transformation.
She said productivity, competence, sincerity and teamwork would be essential in delivering the country’s development aspirations.
