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By ZamChro Correspondent

Zambia could find themselves banned from World Cup qualifiers by FIFA if they don’t quickly lift the suspension of their federation’s president…

World soccer’s ruling body FIFA has warned that Zambia will be kicked out of the World Cup qualifiers, if the suspension of Zambia Football Federation (FAZ) President Kalusha Bwalya is not lifted.

According to a letter sent by FIFA to FAZ, football’s governing body also said the hearing over the transfer of former Kabwe Warriors striker, Emanuel Mayuka, to an Israeli club must be stopped immediately.

FIFA has also taken over the Mayuka transfer saga and has directed the sports council to stop any hearings.

It said this is because player transfers are under the jurisdiction of FIFA and its affiliates.

FIFA’s general secretary, Jerome Valcke, warned that failure to comply with the directive will also result in Zambia being banned from international football starting with the game against Egypt next week.

The FIFA letter read in part: “This current controversy circles around issues falling under the direct competence of FIFA, (a) the defense of the fundamental principle of the autonomy of the FIFA member associations from external influence, (b) the disputes around international transfers of players.”

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By Shapi Shacinda

LUSAKA, March 21 (Reuters) – Zambia’s largest cobalt producer Chambishi Metals Plc aims to restart production within two months after its managers complete arrangements to buy raw materials, its CEO Derek Webbstock said on Saturday.

Webbstock told reporters that the company’s operations, which were placed under care and maintenance in December, would restart once deals for copper concentrate were concluded with local mines and mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Chambishi’s owners Luanshya Copper Mines (LCM) also operated the closed Baluba copper mine. Luanshya is in turn owned by Bein Sten Group Resources (BSGR) and International Mineral Resources (IRM), which said they were making losses due to low copper prices.

Webbstock said China’s NFC Africa was the frontrunner to buy LCM units, Baluba and the Greenfield Mulyashi project, which had the potential to produce up to 100,000 tones of copper per year.

“We are going to keep Chambishi and we are talking to (mines in) the DRC and hopefully within two months, if we can have contracts from DRC and within Zambia, we will get concentrate coming from the Congo,” Webbstock, who is also CEO of Luanshya, said. “We hope Chambishi will be up and running in two months.”

BSRG and IRM would retain Chambishi Metals Plc, which had employed 900 workers, of which 500 to 600 would be re-employed.

Chambishi produced about 2,500 tones of cobalt before its closure although its owners had wanted to raise output to about 3,400 tones. It had also planned to produce 20,000 tones of B-grade copper.

Webbstock said BSRG and IRM would exit other LCM units once LCM had finalized repayment of about $100 million the firm owed its shareholders and other creditors.

“My liabilities are about $100 million at the moment and since shareholders (may) have no recourse to their money, the next investor may get it for free, but I see somebody paying between $30 million to $40 million for the assets,” he said.

The Mulyahsi project, which LCM had planned to complete building in 2010 at a cost of $354 million and would have produced up to 60,000 tones in its initial stage, was the future of the LCM units, he said.

“Any investor that wants to buy LCM must look seriously at developing Mulyashi; it’s the future of Luanshya.”

“NFC (Africa) have had intensive studies on Luanshya and since NFC operates in the country, I would assume that they have significant (Chinese) government backing and so they stand a greater chance to buy Luanshya,” Webbstock said.

Zambia‘s Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale said on Thursday that NFC Africa, Britain’s Lion Finance, working in partnership with a local firm Madini Copper Resources, and Shanduka Group of South Africa were looking to buy the LCM assets.

Webbstock said bids for Luanshya would close in mid-April. (Reporting by Shapi Shacinda; editing by David Stamp)

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By Shapi Shacinda

LUSAKA, March 20 (Reuters) – Zambia plans to raise its stake in all foreign-owned copper mines to 25 percent from 15 percent to have a bigger say in their running and prevent mine closures, Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale said.

Speaking to the Post newspaper in Zambia, Mwale did not give details of how the government would increase its stake.

It was also unclear when the new rules would be enforced.

Unions have urged the government to prevent job losses by taking a bigger stake in mining companies to exert influence and prevent mine closures.

Mwale did not explain whether his government would compensate mining companies to boost its stake in mines, or if the state would enact a new law to increase its stake.

“The government’s decision to increase its stake in the mines will change the scenario, giving it an upper hand to participate in the operations of the mines,” the newspaper quoted Mwale as saying.

Mwale said Zambia would offer a 75 percent stake to new foreign investors bidding to run the shut Luanshya Copper Mine (LCM), which it expects to take back from its current owners by April. Companies from the UK, China and South Africa are vying to run LCM and re-open its operations.

LCM operated the Baluba copper mine and Chambishi Metals Plc, the country’s largest cobalt producer, before it closed those citing losses due to the commodities downturn.

Some major foreign companies operating in Zambia are Canada’s First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO), Glencore International AG GLEN.L, London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc (VED.L) and Equinox Minerals Ltd (ric) of Australia.

Separately, Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said China’s plans to raise its copper imports would boost Zambia’s copper production in 2009.

“Notwithstanding our efforts to diversify (our economy), we will not abandon what we know best, like mining. We are optimistic with reports that China’s State Reserve Bureau may this year raise purchases of copper to 1 million metric tones from 600,000 tones,” Musokotwane said.

“This is an encouraging signal for the Zambian mining industry,” Musokotwane said.

Musokotwane said Zambia was pleased with the price of copper, which has gained about 25 percent this year after slumping 54 percent in 2008, due to the global financial crisis.

Falling copper prices hurt Zambia’s economy, which depends on copper exports for 63 percent of foreign exchange earnings.

“Our economy encountered unprecedented shocks over the last few months,” Musokotwane said referring to mining job losses.

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