Zambia's President meets Mopani co-owner IRH to discuss copper output

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema met with International Resources Holding (IRH) Chief Executive Ali Rashed Alrashdi in Abu Dhabi to demand increased copper output and compliance with local content laws at Mopani Copper Mines.

The meeting follows allegations from state shareholder ZCCM Investments Holdings (ZCCM-IH) that IRH's subsidiary, Delta Mining, breached agreements regarding the Mopani copper complex. ZCCM-IH claims that Delta failed to provide required equity funding, allowed the mine to incur unauthorized expensive debt, and fell short of project development budgets. Specifically, ZCCM-IH noted that payments into Mopani during 2025 were $61 million below the minimum required under their agreements.

President Hichilema emphasized that Mopani is vital to Zambia’s goal of reaching three million tonnes of annual copper production. He also stressed the importance of the local content law, which will require miners to increase their procurement of goods and services from Zambian-owned firms starting in 2026. IRH has stated that it is addressing these concerns through shareholder channels and maintains a strong relationship with ZCCM-IH.