FINAL PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY TO REOPEN MULUNGUSHI TEXTILES AFTER US$140 MILLION INVESTMENT
By Nelson Zulu
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga says final preparations are underway to bring Mulungushi Textiles in Kabwe back into operation after securing a US$140 million investment in new machinery.
Mr. Mulenga has confirmed to Phoenix News that government and Mulungushi Textiles management have procured and installed brand-new equipment and plan to auction outdated machines currently on site, with test runs to validate technical readiness before a formal re-opening is underway.
He has cited the lack of cotton as the reason for failure to re-open the facility by 23rd December 2025, as earlier announced, and revealed that about 3,000 cotton farmers have been contracted to supply the raw material.
Mr. Mulenga added that an initial harvest has been encouraging, however noting that further crops are needed to ensure adequate stock once production starts.
He is hopeful that the company will re-open soon after the completion of technical and logistical issues is resolved and projects the plant to create between 400 and 500 direct jobs, with further indirect employment across the value chain once functional.
PHOENIX NEWS
Just open it, tax salaula to protect textile industries and cotton farmers boost
It 2016 the PF government lied to Zambians that they had opened Mulungushi textiles,meanwhile they call the UPND government,”a government of liars” Bravo UPND.
Bally will fix it
Every five years during an election year this textiles opens for 3 months prior to elections and then shuts down again 3 months after elections are over. We have seen this cycle with all previous governments and we are now even used to it. No wonder even cotton farmers in the area stopped growing cotton since it will just be for 6 months.