Our History

La Générale des Carrières et des Mines(GECAMINES SA) tire ses origines de l’Union Minière du Haut Katanga (UMHK) créée par décret royal n° 1473/444 du 28 octobre 1906 du Roi Léopold II qui a été nationalisée en 1967 par les pouvoirs publics.

1906

28 October

Created in 1906

Creation, by Royal Decree No. 1473/444 of 28 October 1906 of King Leopold II, of the Union Minière du Haut Katanga “UMHK”.

The mission

The mission of the UMHK was to carry out mining activities with the possibility of creating commercial and industrial establishments and to carry out all necessary or useful operations that could contribute to the economic development of the Katanga mining region.

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1967

Incorporation

Incorporation of the SARL, a state company, La Générale Congolaise des Ores “GECOMIN” on January 2, 1967.

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1970

Signing by the President of the Republic of the statutes of GECOMIN, which changes its name to La Générale Congolaise des Mines “GECOMINES”.

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1972

GECAMINES

Creation of La Générale des Carrières et des Mines “GECAMINES” following the change of the country’s name on October 27, 1971, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Republic of Zaire.

 

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1978

From 1972 to 1978, the Générale des Carrières et des Mines (GECAMINES) is responsible for production while marketing is carried out by the Société Zaïroise de Commercialisation des Ores (SOZACOM) created in 1974.

Signing by the President of the Republic of the new statutes of La Générale des Carrières et des Mines “GECAMINES” as a public company.

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1984

GECAMINES HOLDING

Creation of GECAMINES HOLDING

Creation of a State Holding Company called La Générale des Carrières et des Mines Holding “GECAMINES-HOLDING”.

This holding company was composed of the following three subsidiaries:

 The Générale des Carrières et des Mines Exploitation “GECAMINES EXPLOITATION”, of an industrial nature.

The Générale des Carrières et des Mines for the “GECAMINES COMMERCIALE” Commercialization, taking over the function of the dissolved Zairian Mineral Marketing Company “SOZACOM”;

The Générale des Carrières et des Mines Développement “GECAMINES DEVELOPPEMENT”, in charge of development activities, particularly in the agri-food sector.

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1986

Record copper production

GECAMINES reaches its record copper production of 476,033 tonnes for a workforce of 36,000 employees; the production of other metals was 14,500 tonnes for cobalt and 64,000 tonnes for zinc.

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1990

Mine collapse

Collapse of the Kamoto mine, the main supplier of sulphide minerals, and the country is placed under an economic embargo, with the consequence of depriving GECAMINES of external financing.

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1995

Dissolution

Dissolution of La Générale des Carrières et des Mines Holding “GECAMINES-HOLDING” and return to the old GECAMINES formula, integrating the commercial function by Decree No. 0049 of 7 November 1995.

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1996

Partnerships

Beginning of the creation of joint ventures (partnerships) with various partners.

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1998

AFDL – Second Congo War

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1999

Management of GECAMINES entrusted to the Zimbabwean company RICH POINT, which decides to exempt a fairly large number of employees from the Obligation to Perform (DOP).

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2000

Gradual resumption of civil servants exempted from the Obligation to Work (DOP).

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2003

Execution of a social plan aimed at reducing personnel costs, known as Operation Voluntary Departures “ODV”, financed by the World Bank at the request of the Government.

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2006

100 years

GECAMINES has been in existence for 100 years.

Joint Management of GECAMINES by the Management Committee set up under Decree No. 05/185 of 30 December 2005 appointing the members of the Board of Directors.

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2009

Initiation of the transformation of GECAMINES, a public company into a commercial company in accordance with Law 08/007 of 07 July 2008.

 

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2010

On December 23, 2010, GECAMINES goes from being a public company to a commercial company under Congolese law in the form of a limited liability company.

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