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NEWS
UPDATE
1st to 5th October, 2000
10-13th October, 2000
20th October, 2000
19-24th November, 2000
1st to 5th October, 2000
The minister of Natural Resources leads a
five man delegation to meet Billiton Aluminium on Mulanje Bauxite.
The minister of Natural Resources and
Environmental affairs, hon. Harry Thomson and comprising Dr. Jerry Jana,
(chairman, Press corporation Limited), Mr L. Kalindakafe (director of
mines), Mr G. Malunga (MDC), and Mr E.E. Gwazantini (press corporation
limited) left Malawi on 1st October, 2000 to discuss the Mulanje Bauxite
mining project with Billiton in London.
The meeting took place on the 3rd October,
2000 and on the Billiton side, three people were present. These were Mr.
Rabelink (Director of business development), Mr P. de Waal (Aluminium
Technology) and Mr. P Everard (Executive director responsible for business
development and strategy).
Subsequently, during lunch, the discussion
was attended by Mr. D Munroe (executive director).
The visit was very successful. It was
gratifying to the Malawian team for a top class player in the aluminium
business to agree to come to Malawi at their coast to verify the bauxite
reserves. The Hon. Minister in the Malawi team assured Billiton that
preparations will be made in Malawi to ensure that Billiton's team is well
recieved and that their task is well facilitated to enable them carry out
their work.
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10 - 13th October, 2000
The Minister of Natural resources and
Environmental Affairs, Hon. Harry Thomson attends Mines2000 in Lusaka.
Grain Malunga supported a team of local promoters and makes the
following observetion:
Eleven projects were promoted at the forum.
These included uranium, monazite, gemstone, talc, phosphate, titanium and
vermiculite.
The forum was a useful gathering that
brought up a network of institutions inter-linked one way or another in
development of relationships in mineral development. The diversity of
participants included mining houses, financing institutions, consultants
and mining project promoters.
Most financing institutions were not
interested in projects that were at grass root level of exploitation to
feasibility study level. This was more applicable to projects affecting
industrial minerals. CDE is recommended for their promise and support for
these projects.
Some members were not effective in
presenting their projects due to lack of technical knowledge, language and
negotiating skills. CDE is recommended for bridging in these gaps through
engagement of associate consultants and country consultants. Further
contacts and negotiations among potential partners should be encouraged to
pass through country consultants or CDE where appropriate or
convenient.
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20th
October, 2000
Mr Malunga, the deputy director of
operations presented the Mulanje Bauxite project concept to Mutual
construction company limited (MCC) in Johannesburg. Following
a consultation meeting between the Minister of transport and public
works and MDC general manager on the possibility of involving MCC in
the mining of Mulanje Bauxite through the Nacala Corridor
development initiative, MDC sent Mr. Malunga, the deputy director of
operations, to present the Mulanje project conceptive. Mr. J. Mwanza
of personal computers limited accompanied Mr. Malunga to meet the
chairman of MCC, Mr. Barnes. MCC
offers plant hire, management and mining services to mining houses,
civil engineering and earth moving industries. The
following observations were made: MCC
is willing to operate the Bauxite mine and construct the associated
infrastructure under management contract. The
company can contribute plant and equipment as its equity. There
was need to review the transportation logistics of both Bauxite and
Aluminia to processing plant and Mozal smelter in Maputo in order to
be competitive with the Australian Alumina imports Technology
acquisitions and processing plant supply to be negotiated with major
players such as Billiton Aluminium and Alcan. Interest
major financial institutions to fund the project as the investment
is heavy. The team also visited
gold and platinum operations in Randfontein and Rustenberg. The
operations were very impressive and posed enormous challenge under
complex and heterogenous ore depositional setting. |
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