In Kolwezi, Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) is helping to bring mining activities closer to the promotion of scientific and cultural heritage.
The company donated six mineralogical samples and a copper cathode to the National Museum of Kolwezi, with the aim of enriching the collections of an institution expected to become a showcase for the DRC’s geological wealth.
The mining sector is not limited to the extraction and processing of natural resources. It also constitutes an important source of knowledge about the geological history of a territory.
It is from this perspective that TFM, on Friday, August 28, handed over several mineralogical specimens to the provincial management of the National Museum of Kolwezi.
The collection includes chalcocite, bornite, chalcopyrite, malachite, chrysocolla, and dolomitic limestone.
These specimens come from different quarries within TFM’s concession, including Fwaulu, Fungurume-1, Pumpi and Mofya West. The company’s mining concession covers more than 1,500 km².
From the Mine to the Heritage Showcase
Present during the handover, senior geologist Dieudonné Musuil presented the characteristics and value of the different samples.
Beyond their geological interest, these minerals provide the general public with a tangible representation of the diversity of resources found beneath Congolese soil.
For the National Museum of Kolwezi, this contribution comes as the institution continues to build its collections.
Its mission includes collecting, preserving, studying, promoting, and exhibiting the tangible and intangible heritage of Lualaba Province and the DRC.
There is also an educational dimension.
The specimens can serve as learning materials for students, researchers, teachers, and visitors seeking to better understand the geology and mineralogy of the Copperbelt region.
Preserving Mining Memory
Through this donation, TFM is positioning its contribution within an approach that extends beyond industrial activity alone.
Preserving minerals in a museum makes it possible to safeguard part of the country’s geological and industrial memory and transmit it to future generations.
Dieudonné Mumba, quoted in the company’s communication, emphasized the ambition to make the National Museum of Kolwezi more attractive and turn it into a genuine showcase for Lualaba and the DRC.
For her part, the provincial director of the National Museum of Kolwezi, Yolaine Kazadi Mbayo, stated that the samples would be preserved for future generations.
The initiative thus illustrates another dimension of mining companies’ responsibility: contributing to the transformation of underground wealth into knowledge, heritage, and an educational tool.
In Kolwezi, minerals are therefore symbolically leaving the mine to enter the country’s history and collective memory.
Héritier Maila / Magazine le Temps
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