Lualaba: CHEMAF at the Heart of Social Initiatives for Communities Surrounding Its Mining Operations

Written by Timothée Prince ODIA

(Kolwezi, November 13, 2026). In Mutoshi, near Kolwezi, in the province of Lualaba, mining company CHEMAF is developing several social initiatives to support communities living near its mining project. Healthcare, access to clean drinking water, agriculture, compensation for people affected by mining operations, and youth development are among the main areas of its community support programs.

In surrounding villages, access to healthcare remains a major concern for many families. To bring medical services closer to local residents, CHEMAF provides free medical consultations through a mobile hospital. Every Thursday, medical teams visit communities to conduct examinations and provide patients with free medication.

Cynthia, a nurse at Mutoshi Hospital, explains that these consultations are held every Thursday to ensure that people living in nearby communities can access healthcare at no cost.

« Everything is provided free of charge here. CHEMAF makes appropriate healthcare services available to local communities. We encourage residents to come in large numbers, » she said.

The initiative is particularly welcomed by residents of villages that do not always have nearby healthcare facilities. One beneficiary thanked the company for its medical assistance, highlighting the difficulties his community faces in accessing healthcare.

« Back in our village of Kalendalenda, we used to have difficulties getting medical treatment. We had to travel all the way from here to Kolwezi to seek medical care. But today, CHEMAF has come to our aid. We receive free medication after medical examinations. We thank the doctors for their dedication and CHEMAF for this initiative. »

Access to clean drinking water is another key area of intervention. Several boreholes have been installed in the villages of Mutaka Mari, Kabamba, Kazembe Lukwesa, and Tshipuki. Another water facility is currently under construction in Tshinjamba. These facilities allow residents in the communities concerned to access water free of charge, an essential resource for their daily household needs.

Beyond healthcare and water access, community support also extends to agriculture. Local farmers receive technical training, seeds, fertilizers, as well as equipment and tools for farming activities. Through this assistance, the company aims to strengthen farmers’ capacities and support the development of agricultural activities in surrounding villages.

At the same time, the expansion of mining operations raises questions about how the land rights and interests of local communities are addressed. In Mutoshi, CHEMAF has requested the intervention of the provincial relocation commission to oversee the compensation process for people affected by the expansion of mining activities within its concession.

The process involves several stakeholders, including the chief of the Kazembe groupement, technical officers from the provincial land affairs and agriculture departments, civil society representatives, and representatives of the National Human Rights Commission. The various stakeholders are expected to help document the affected properties and review the relevant claims, with the aim of ensuring transparency and taking the interests of affected families into account.

The coexistence of large-scale industrial mining and artisanal mining is also among the project’s key challenges. CHEMAF says it has set aside an area within its mining concession for more than 10,000 artisanal miners, organized into three cooperatives. The initiative is intended to provide oversight of their activities and promote better organization of artisanal mining operations through cooperation with the various stakeholders in the mining sector.

Youth development is another component of these community initiatives. The company has established a soccer team made up of young people from surrounding villages, with professional coaches providing supervision and training. The initiative aims to give young people a positive sporting environment that supports their personal growth and development.

Together, these initiatives illustrate the social dimension accompanying the development of CHEMAF’s mining project in Mutoshi.

TOPINFO.CD / CHEMAF / SOCIAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT