SOLWEZI, ZAMBIA – Anthony Mukutuma has been appointed general manager of First Quantum Minerals’ multi-million-dollar Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi District of North Western Province.
He is the first Zambian to hold such a post at Kansanshi, which is the largest copper mine in Africa by production.
Mr Mukutuma has 20 years of experience in operations and management of mineral processing and hydrometallurgical plants, covering business development, research and development, design and design optimisation, commissioning, process optimisation (including de-bottlenecking), operations management, business performance improvement and talent development.
Before his appointment, Mr Mukutuma ran First Quantum Minerals’ Guelb Moghrein copper-gold mine in Mauritania, and most recently was general manager for the restart of operations at its Ravensthorpe Nickel Operation in Australia.
Mr Mukutuma’s previous designations include, the position of metallurgist in mineral processing at the Konkola Division of the then Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM). He has also worked in hydrometallurgy at Anglo American’s research laboratories in South Africa, from senior metallurgist to plant manager, then technical manager at First Quantum Minerals’ Bwana Mkubwa mine processing plant in Ndola. He also worked as plant manager at the early stages of the Kevitsa Mine project in Finland.
He holds a BEng. in chemical engineering with minerals engineering from the University of Birmingham, and an MBA in accounting and finance from the University of Liverpool.
“FQM is proud to announce the appointment of Mr Mukutuma as the new general manager for our Kansanshi Mine. It is a significant milestone for the company and reinforces our commitment to providing equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, race or creed,” said FQM country manager General Kingsley Chinkuli.
“Management wishes him all the best in his new role as GM. We are confident he will be equal to the task and we are eager to tap into the vast knowledge he has acquired in the last 20 years in the industry.”
General Chinkuli stressed it was one of numerous appointments that have seen senior Zambian staff taking on top management positions, not just at Kansanshi and its sister Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila, but also other mines under the FQM Group worlwide.
And he added that the company would continue to create an enabling environment where employees had an opportunity to progressively rise through the ranks.
Kansanshi has around 3,276 direct staff and almost 5,000 contractors, primarily Zambians, and uses state-of-the-art technology to extract copper from three different ore types, with world-class efficiency.
Sources: https://langmead.com/media/?p=192