Seventh from left: Minister of Technology and Science, Hon. Felix Mutati, MP. Ninth from left: Acting Director TEVETA at the Ministry of Technology and Science, Precious Lisulo
Construction of Chapula Polytechnic in Lufwanyama nears completion
LUFWANYAMA, 08 SEPTEMBER 2025
On Saturday 6 September 2025, 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..
-ENDS-
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..
ENQUIRIES
| ENQUIRIES | Gillian Langmead Langmead & Baker Ltd Tel: +260 979 060705 info@langmead.com |
| HEAD OFFICE | Helena Choudhury Head of PR and Communications Tel: +44 (0)207 518 3420 / +44 (0)7493 237598 helena.choudhury@gemfields.com Albertina Namburete PR Manager Tel: +44 (0)783 325 7387 Albertina.namburete@gemfields.com |
NOTES TO EDITORS
Kagem Mining Limited responsible mining highlights
- Kagem is committed to ensuring that the community continues to benefit positively from its operations through various sustainability programmes focused on alleviating poverty and aligned with government policies, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Vision 2030.
- Up to December 2022, Kagem had spent USD 3 million on community projects, and has committed further.
- Kagem constructed, expanded and rehabilitated 5 schools providing education to more than 2,000 students.
- Kagem committed USD 345,000 on top of previous provisions of USD 345,000 in university scholarships in geology and mining engineering.
- Kagem and Gemfields Foundation built and equipped two computer labs at Kapila Primary School and Chapula Secondary School.
- Kagem constructed 1 fully equipped health centre, the Nkana Health Centre, serving a population of 15,000.
- Kagem improved Chief Nkana and Chief Lumpuma’s palaces and rehabilitated 18.7km road connecting Chief Nkana and Chief Lumpuma’s chiefdoms.
- Kagem provides support to 5 farming associations benefiting more than 100 farmers and their families.
- Kagem supports the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) having committed a total of USD 400,000 since 2018 to 2027 and provided a one-off donation of USD 70,000 to the North Luangwa Conservation Programme (NLCP).
- Kagem signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Zambia to fund the construction of the Chapula Polytechnic in Lufwanyama.
- Kagem employs more than 1,500 people, of which, 94% are Zambian nationals.
About Kagem Mining Limited
Kagem Mining Ltd, based in Lufwanyama, is believed to be the world’s single largest producing emerald mine. Kagem is 75% owned by Gemfields, in a model partnership with the Zambian government.
Kagem aims to emulate the values of Gemfields and operate in a way that contributes positively to the national economy, while taking a leading role in modernising the coloured gemstone sector and building sustainable livelihoods for the communities around the mine. Kagem believes that coloured gemstones should be mined and marketed by championing three key values – transparency, legitimacy and integrity.
Gemfields is a world-leading responsible miner and marketer of coloured gemstones. In addition to Kagem, Gemfields is the operator and 75% owner of Montepuez Ruby Mining in Mozambique (at one of the most significant recently discovered ruby deposits in the world), as well as bulk sampling licences in Ethiopia, amongst others. Gemfields has developed a proprietary grading system and a pioneering auction and trading platform to provide a consistent supply of coloured gemstones to the global jewellery market.
As well as supplying a significant share of the world’s rough rubies and emeralds, Gemfields initiates activations to build desire for coloured gemstones: for example, collaborations with international jewellery brands and other creative partners. Often surprising, unexpected and unique, these collaborations are chosen to promote consumer awareness and increase the appeal of coloured gemstones, raising their profile, and, in turn, providing greater benefit to their place of origin in Africa.
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