The Minister of Technology and Science, Hon. Felix Mutati, MP, visited the construction site of the Chapula Polytechnic in Lufwanyama. Once completed, this centre is believed to be Zambia’s first official polytechnic.
Kagem Mining Limited (Kagem) commenced construction works on the polytechnic in June last year in fulfilment of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Government in September 2023, in which Kagem committed to the construction of the polytechnic up to a cost of USD 2.5 million (circa ZMW 52.5 million). The Chapula Polytechnic buildings under construction include classrooms and offices, a workshop, staff houses and hostels for students.
The centre aims to provide residents of Lufwanyama, and nearby areas surrounding the mine, with training in a range of skills to obtain qualifications that aim to help them find employment, including at the mine, in support of the Government’s Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).
Hon. Felix Mutati, MP expressed his enthusiasm at the construction progress saying: “This project has been delivered at an impressive pace. In just over one year, we have been able to see quite a lot of progress.”
Hon. Mutati applauded Kagem’s commitment to deliver on the project citing it as a harmonious execution of a public-private partnership. He further noted that, as what is believed to be the first polytechnic in the country, it will also serve as a centre of excellence, pioneering a digitally-focussed education paired with practical skills transfer.
Kagem is aiming to complete construction end 2025 / early 2026, following which the Chapula Polytechnic will operate under the administration of the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA), and will offer industry-standard curriculum-based courses to enable locals to acquire the necessary skills needed to improve their employability. With a curriculum being designed to align with industry demands, the Chapula Polytechnic will offer a diverse array of courses, with training proposed in carpentry, plumbing, heavy earth moving machinery, computing and information technology (IT).
Kagem’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Irvine Mwitwa said: “With the opening of Chapula Polytechnic, we hope to see a mindset shift among the youth and community in relation to what constitutes a formal education and how one can go about acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to be productive members of society, contributing to the development of our communities, district and the nation at large.”
The Chapula Polytechnic demonstrates Kagem’s longstanding commitment to supporting regional and national economic development through initiatives and programmes that aim to create successful and independent communities in the vicinity of the mine.
The mine’s contributions towards local community education include the construction, expansion and rehabilitation of five schools in the area, providing education to more than 2,000 students, as well as geology and mining engineering scholarships to students at the University of Zambia (UNZA) and Copperbelt University (CBU).
From left: Kagem Head of Human Resources, Dr Wesley Chshimba; Site Engineer for the Contractor, Oscar Palambwa; Minister of Technology and Science, Hon. Felix Mutati, MP; Kagem Head of Corporate Affairs, Irvine Mwitwa; Acting Director TEVETA at the Ministry of Technology and Science, Precious Lisulo; Kagem Corporate Affairs Manager, Victoria Chileshe; Kagem General Manager, Adriaan Prinsloo
