16 Sep 2013

Parliamentary portfolio committees on labour and home affairs as well as wildlife, tourism, natural resources and climate change were on September 12 apprised on the Mowana Mine’s African Copper production and working conditions during a tour of the facility.

The mine’s general manager, Mr Kenneth Masogo briefed two committees on the different working divisions in the mine. Mr Masogo informed them that African Copper was a public limited company incorporated and listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Botswana Stock Exchange.

The company, he said, was holding company of a copper producing and mineral exploration and development group of companies. The group’s main assets, he said, was the Mowana Mine which consisted of a 3 000 Metric tonne per day copper processing facility and the copper producing Mowana open pit.

Mr Masogo highlighted that the Group also owned a mining license to the high grade copper-silver Thakadu open-pit, which lies about 70 km from the Mowana processing infrastructure.   He added that the current processing strategy envisaged maximising copper units through the Mowana plant by focusing production on the higher grade Thakadu ore.

“Mining activities at the Mowana open-pit have been curtailed with a plan to recommence full mining operations in late 2013 so as to have the pit capable of providing the necessary ore when the reserves at Thakadu are depleted which is expected to be in mid-2014”, he said  

He said African Copper PLC was the holding company of a mineral exploration and development group of companies that wer exploring and developing copper projects in Botswana.  Mr Masogo also said the company has a 100 percent interest in the rights of two mineral properties in Botswana, the Dukwi and the Matsitama projects.

Furthermore, he said together they gave African Copper exclusive rights to explore the Matsitama Belt of Botswana, including the Dukwi and the Thakadu-Makala deposits. He explained that they serviced their machinery before it got on the road, adding they had a challenge with the Mosetse/Matsitama dusty road which was in a bad condition. However he noted the mine managed the road.

Commenting on the Mowana Mine operations, chairperson of the wildlife and tourism natural resources and climate change committee, Mr Kagiso Molathegi appreciated the Mowana mine’s African Copper production and the working conditions at the facility.

He said his concerns were on the safety of the environment in terms of pollution activities and the recycling of the material as the mine was developing.
Mr Molatlhegi thanked the management for their selfless efforts to ensure that mining was sustainable in the long run. Ends