zambia wants more manganese investment

Here are 2 articles stating the demand for manganese in Zambia. The first article highlights the unexplored region for manganese in Zambia whilst the second article highlights the poltical network in zambia, in how the government is massively trying to endorse managese exploration and development. Just for the record we are going to acquire the majority of our managanese assets in Luapula - the north region of Zambia where the high manganese grades are known to be - we are getting some dirt cheap and in a rich mineralised region of a african country central to the african overall economy (lots of railways, roads, airports, and the country endorses private investment). Check out this previous annoucement to look at the map where our projects are located:
http://imagesignal.comsec.com.au/asxdata/20101229/pdf/01138033.pdf

1. Zambia asks mining companies to diversify from copper

Zambia asked mining companies to diversify into diamonds emeralds, zinc and production of other base metals than traditional copper to maximize on the abundant mineral potential in the country.

Mr George Kunda VP of Zambia said it was important that mining companies operating in Zambia digressed into other minerals other than copper because the mineral was a wasting asset and diversification would help the country realize real returns.

Opening the Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference in Lusaka Wednesday, Kunda added that it was government?s obligation to ensure that good policies were put in place by the government to ensure that the mining companies, explored other minerals including diamonds, gold, zinc, uranium, nickel, manganese so that the country would benefit immensely from its mineral wealth.

Mr Maxwell Mwale mines minister of Zambiasaid that it was government?s commitment to ensure that the government and the mining companies co-existed to ensure that the mining and copper industry realized the government?s aspirations to ensure economic growth. Government was happy that the privatization of the mining and copper industry was bearing fruit with the influx of foreign mining companies taking up various projects in the country.

Mr Ian Maxwell president of BHP Billiton Minerals Limited said that the company was considering investing USD 30 million in exploration projects to be undertaken in Zambia in addition to the other USD 30 million invested earlier in the Mumbwa Copper and Gold project in Mumbwa where it was doing exploration work. However government to ensure that clear cut policies and legislations were in place to ensure security of tenure on the investment brought into the country by the foreign mining companies.

Mr Sixtus Mulenga CEO Tranter Zambia Limited said that there has been vast discoveries of manganese in Luapula in north eastern Zambia, sharing the border with Democratic Republic of Congo which needed to be tapped to enable the country benefit from the mineral. There were anomalies in the mining of manganese despite the government?s goodwill to ensure that much was realized from the abundant resources in the area which remained untapped.

Tranter Zambia Limited has since undertaken drilling programs to ensure that more manganese was realized in the area and called for more private sector participation in mining of manganese which remained untapped.

Zambia is poised to increase its mineral extraction potential with the increasing number of projects that were being undertaken in various parts of the country. Government envisions that with the increased mineral explorations more mining companies, other than copper would emerge and grow the country?s economy. Zambia has in recent months received accolades from various economic interest groups including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

http://www.steelguru.com/metals_news/Zambia_asks_mining_companies_to_diversify_from_copper/210301.html




2. Zambia seeks more iron-ore, manganese, uranium investment

LUSAKA (miningweekly.com) − Zambia is keen to diversify its mining sector and wants more exploration in iron-ore, manganese, coal and uranium, Vice-President George Kunda said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a mining conference in Lusaka, Kunda said that the Zambian economy was too dependent on copper.

?Although government is pleased with the growth of the mining industry, if the copper price falls, the industry will once again find itself in a mire which could be difficult to get out of.?

Zambia aims to be the third-largest uranium producer in Africa in the near future, Kunda said, adding that this would depend on exploration and investment.

?This means that certain infrastructure sectors will be put under severe pressure, these being the energy, transport and communication sectors. Government is not ignoring this and plans are being put in place to build the capacity of these sectors alongside the mining industry,? he stated.

Kunda told delegates that the government?s commitment to support the rebuilding of the Zambian mining industry was starting to bear fruit.

Since 2005, the country has been gearing itself towards the building of a sustainable and transparent industry. ?The proof of the pudding is in the eating, the presence of foreign mining companies in the country proves that investors are once again willing to expand borders into this sleeping African giant.?

Kunda reminded mining companies that corporate social investment was a ?non-negotiable? in Zambia.

?Companies are urged to embrace commitments made to work alongside government in building the capacity of Zambia?s skills base so that in future companies can have faith in entrusting the lifeblood of investments to Zambian people; where they are elected to the level of CEOs and executive directors,? he stated

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/zambia-wants-to-diversify-into-iron-ore-coal-and-uranium-2011-06-15