Mufulira is a town in theCopperbelt Province ofZambia. Mufulira means "Place of Abundance and Peace". The town developed around the Mufulira Copper Mine in the 1930s. The town also serves as the administrative capital ofMufulira District.[1]
Mufulira is located approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of the town ofMokambo, at the international border with theDemocratic Republic of the Congo.[2] TheM4 road connects Mufulira toKitwe, 43 kilometres (27 mi) to the south-west.[3] The M4 also connects Mufulira toNdola, the seat Copperbelt, 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the south-east.[4]
Mufulira is connected to the Mokambo Border and eventually theLuapula Province of Zambia by theCongo Pedicle road. The section from Mufulira to Mokambo is designated as theM5 road while the route through theCongo Pedicle to theChembe Border is named the Congo Pedicle road.[5]
The town of Mufulira developed around the Mufulira Copper Mine in the 1930s. A branch ofZambia Railways, carrying freight only, serves the mine. Mufulira is the south-western end of theCongo Pedicle road connecting the Copperbelt Province to theLuapula Province, making that province Mufulira's commercialhinterland.[1]
In 1990, the population of Mufulira was 123,936 people. In 2000, there were 122,336 people. The 2010 populationcensus and household survey enumerated the population of the town at 151,309 inhabitants.[8] The table below illustrates the same data intabular format.
TheMufulira Mine is now owned and operated byMopani Copper Mines, which employs 10,000 permanent workers and produced about 300,000 tonnes (330,693 tons) of copper bars in 2007.[needs update] The Mufulira CopperSmelter was rehabilitated by SMECSouth Africa. Production and employment levels went down from the 1969 peak when the Copperbelt made Zambia the world's 4th largest copper producer.[1][9]
Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe (1922–1980), who served as Vice President of Zambia from 1967 until 1970. He served as member of parliament for Mufulira West Constituency from December 1971 until February 1972, under theUPP political party, the only UPP MP elected.[12]
Kenneth Kaunda (born 1924), the founder President of Zambia, in office from 1964 until 1991. In 1948, he served as a teacher and boarding master at Mufulira Upper School.[13]
^Mbendi South Africa (17 November 2000)."Overview of Copper Mining In Zambia". Cape Town: Mbendi South Africa. Archived fromthe original(Archived from the original on 17 February 2007) on 17 February 2007. Retrieved22 May 2020.
^The Gale Group, Inc (2010)."Kenneth David Kaunda Facts". Burlingame, California, United States: Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved22 May 2020.
