06 Mar 2018

Former African Copper mine employees have not yet been paid all of their terminal benefits.

This was said by Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Advocate Sadique Kebonang when answering a question in Parliament on March 5.

Adv. Kebonang, who said the process of liquidation involved finding a purchaser of all the assets of the defunct estate of Messina Copper Botswana, pointed out that under the current arrangement, payment of terminal benefits of the former employees of the mine could only be effected when all the proceeds of the sale of assets had been reviewed.

This process, he noted, had not yet been completed.

The minister said he was aware that the mine had been re-opened and had been operating for about a year.

He however pointed out that at the moment there was no mining, but instead the mine was being tested for efficiency using existing stockpiles to run the plant.

Adv. Kebonang on the other hand said he was not aware of any Zimbabwean nationals working at Mowana Copper Mine as plant manager and metallurgist.

He however admitted that there were qualified Batswana personnel to fill the two positions, adding that in fact one of them was currently held by a Motswana on an acting basis.

The minister said the other was held by a South African national from the parent company Penmin, who had been employed as project manager in the planning unit.

The said employee, the minister explained, was based in South Africa and visited the mine on periodic basis and worked closely with the Motswana mine planner.

Adv. Kebonang said because the positions were held by a Motswana and a South African, he was thus unaware of any Zimbabweans holding either of them.

The minister further stated that he was not aware of any work permits having been recommended to the commissioner of labour by the Department of Mines for Zimbabwean nationals to work at Mowana Copper Mine.

MP Polson Majaga of Nata/Gweta had asked the minister if he was aware that former African Copper mine employees had not been paid their terminal benefits, leave days and gratuity after the mine was liquidated in November 2015.

Mr Majaga also wanted to know if the minister was aware that the company that had taken over from African Copper mine had hired a plant manager and project metallurgist from Zimbabwe.

He thus wanted the minister to explain if there were no qualified Batswana personnel especially from the closed copper mines such as BCL, Discovery Metals and Tati Nickel who could fill the two positions.

He further asked the minister to state who had approved working permits for the two Zimbabwean nationals. ENDS