Mufulira Link

This is Amos's story. He is 13 years old and a member of the Eco Group at Mine Basic school in the town of Mufulira in Zambia.

From his school it is possible to see the Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) mine/smelter/refinery complex. Both he and his friends and teachers at school are part of a community who either work in the mine or gain work from auxiliary services.

The Mufulira mine is the oldest and deepest (1480m) Copper mine in Africa and the complex is responsible for the processing and export of a quarter of all Zambia's Copper (200,000mt).

At a value of about US$ 1.8 bln you would expect that his town would be better off than it is. In fact, his school suffers the daily occurance of sulphur emissions not captured by the smelter complex. When a sulphur storm occurs the women teachers raise the edge of their chitengas (Zambian traditional dress) to their mouths and close the school windows in the blazing heat but to no avail. The sulphur gas is invisible but choking and for people already debilitated by AIDS or TB it is life-threatening.

The MMTA has for a number of years been working with the Cary Mufulira Community Partnership Trust who have been exchanging pupils and teachers with this town for 18 years. When our trade heard about this we wished to show our concern for the communities from which metals come and for which Mufulira has become a symbol.

For further information please contact the MMTA.