Running discussion on SP, page-77123

Just giving my two scents here about the interview. I am wondering if the DRC government is trying to get AVZ to fork out more money for infrastructure, schools, roads, and etc. They realize now that this deposit could become the worlds largest lithium mine and they feel they didn't get enough for it. Maybe a threat to give rites (partial) to Chinese to strongarm AVZ into investing more into the prosperity of their country (other than jobs, tax revenues, & etc. that a company already would have given).

I think that AVZ will be awarded ML and get to keep the 75% but there could be some extra conditions attached to this deal.
From what Marius is saying during JMK Today interview from ~41:36 it looks like Felix had been kept out of the loop on the Manono project.
I believe what Marius is saying because he has too much at stake (and I'm not referring here to his payment from AVZ).

Another thought might be that he said that the DRC government did not want to put all their eggs into one basket. Maybe they want the mine to be led by Australian & Chinese company's. This way some of the risk is spread-out (or keep their Chinese friends happy).

I thought that he was talking in general, that he didn't mean any particular project like Manono, for example.

His talk seemed to suggest that the DRC government is shifting a little towards the US, Australia, & western powers. He tried to walk a thin line by suggesting that the Chinese and others were taking advantage of them without disrespecting them.

My take on this is that it was the US that had chosen many years ago not to get too much involved in doing business with, not just the DRC, but with most of African countries - I think Americans, unlike the Chinese, don't have a stomach for it.

I think the DRC government has an incredibly hard job to transition their country to a more prosperous one that disperses that prosperity down to the lower income people (family's). Rome wasn't built in a day. If government officials would strive to transform their country into a country for the people and by the people, DRC life would be great. Corruption & personal gain must end.

I totally agree with you on this. There are so many issues there that need fixing and it all takes many years. See how many years it has taken any Western country to get where they are in terms of political system, democracy, development and so forth.

Pray that they can achieve that for future generations. GLTAH.

As I am a full-on atheist I wouldn't count on praying. I think that they need to work very hard and need a bit of luck along the way.

Cheers