Eskom ‘sets the record straight’ on its dealings with Glencore

Recent media reports quoting Glencore as vehemently denying it had ever proposed coal price increases of more than R300/t to Eskom “cannot go unchallenged”, the electricity parastatal said on... 

Chamber of Mines rejects criticism of SADC mining industry’s record

The Chamber of Mines has rejected the view that the mining industry has had a purely negative impact on society in mineral-rich sub-Saharan Africa. Instead, the Chamber said that the industry had... 

Liquidator retrenches all 5 000 workers at mothballed Botswana nickel miner

All 5 000 employees of the moth-balled Botswana nickel miner Bamangwato Concession Limited (BCL) and its subsidiaries Tati Nickel Mining Company (TNMC) and BCL Investments will receive their last... 

Botswana diamond miner announces four-month plant closure

Contract miner Basil Read Mining Botswana (BRMD) has announced an immediate cessation of all mining operations at Lerala Diamond Mine (LDM), which is owned by Australian gem miner Kimberely... 

Namibia approves world’s first marine phosphate mining project

The Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) has approved the marine phosphate mining application from an Omani mining company, paving the way for the opening of the world’s first ever... 

Oakbay notes involvement in 5 of 72 ‘dodgy’ transactions

In an apparent attempt to reassure shareholders, Oakbay Resources and Energy released a statement on Monday distancing itself from all but five of 72 so-called “dodgy” transactions involving its... 

Provisional liquidator given 4 months to determine fate of mothballed Botswana nickel miner

The government of Botswana has given the newly-appointed provisional liquidator of mothballed nickel miner Bamangwato Concession Limited (BCL) four months to make a determination on whether the... 

Local authority appeals for extended life-span of ailing Botswana nickel miner

The Selebi-Phikwe town council has pleaded with the cabinet sub-committee set up to probe the feasibility of continued mining operations at the ailing Bamwangwato Concession Limited (BCL) mine to... 

NUM member dies after attack at Sibanye's Cooke operation

A National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) member has died following his attack at Sibanye’s Gold Cooke 2 operation in Westonaria, the union said on Wednesday. Branch secretary Wilson Metsing said... 

Lily mine disaster: Eight months of no answers

Families of three Lily Mine employees who got trapped underground when the mine in Barberton collapsed in February are still in the dark about when the remains of their loved ones will be... 

New Namibian uranium mine says to start production next month

Swakop Uranium has announced that production at its Husab mine in Namibia would commence late next month. Local media reports said the planned operationalisation of the mine was disclosed by... 

PricewaterhouseCoopers gets buyer for liquidated Botswana mine

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says it has finally identified a buyer for African Copper’s Mowana mine in Botswana, almost a year after it was liquidated over a P47-million debt. The closure of the... 

Kibo appoints Absa as Mbeya Project’s financial adviser

Kibo Mining on Thursday said it had signed an advisory engagement letter with Absa Bank laying out the scope of work and terms under which it will act as financial advisor on the Mbeya Coal to... 

Assmang investigates sexual harassment complaint against Black Rock Mine manager

Black Rock Mine on Wednesday said it was investigating an internal complaint of sexual harassment involving a manager and a female employee. The investigation was initiated after the National Union... 

South African gold and diamond miners shine, base metals face slow recovery

Moody’s Investors Service on Tuesday said South African gold and diamond miners’ credit quality had good prospects to continue strengthening. Moody’s assistant VP Douglas Rowlings said the gold and... 

DMR moves to close down Langlaagte shaft of death

The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on Friday confirmed that it was moving ahead with plans to shut down the shaft at the disused mine in Langlaagte, west of Johannesburg, where three illegal... 

Transnet to sue Futuregrowth

Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama revealed in Parliament on Wednesday that the South African parastatal intends to sue Futuregrowth Asset Management for damages. Briefing Parliament’s portfolio committee... 

Families want to rescue illegal miners in Langlaagte

The relatives of illegal miners who have been trapped underground at a disused shaft at Langlaagte, west of Johannesburg, were on Monday negotiating with police to allow them to go underground and... 

Brown lauds Eskom leadership after Medupi unit comes on line

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown had high praise for Eskom CEO Brian Molefe and chairman Ben Ngubane on Friday after the Medupi power plant’s Unit 5 was synchronised to the electricity grid.... 

P1bn debt burden weighs down top Botswana nickel miner

Botswana’s top nickel miner Bamangwato Concession Limited (BCL) is sinking with a debt burden of at least P1-billion ($100-million) amid escalating costs of deep underground mining as nickel prices... 

South African parastatals credible, reliable borrowers, says Brown

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown on Thursday moved to assure investors that South Africa’s parastatals were on solid footing as she responded to news that a second money manager would... 

Mozambique seeks Kimberley Process certification to export newly-found diamond wealth

The Mozambican government is seeking clearance to export its newly-found diamonds from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) amid reports that up to 34 international mining companies... 

Synthetic diamonds threaten Botswana’s mining-based economy, says former minister

The expansion of the global synthetic diamond market poses a threat to the economy of Botswana which depends on the mining and sale of the natural mineral, a former government official has warned.... 

Eskom continues to cooperate with National Treasury on coal contract probes

Eskom on Sunday dismissed reports that findings have been made against the parastatal, insisting it continues to cooperate with the National Treasury on its investigations of Eskom coal contracts.... 

Authorities close illegal chrome mine in Limpopo

Police and mining resources authorities have closed down a lucrative illegal chrome mine near Burgersfort in Limpopo on Tuesday. Authorities claimed that a group of miners who claimed to be mining... 

Lonmin working hard to improve living conditions, says CEO Magara

Lonmin is working hard to improve the living conditions of its workers, CEO Ben Magara said on Tuesday. “I know very well that living conditions of some of employees are not well. We are doing our... 

Mineworkers must be valued – Mathunjwa

Mineworkers must be valued, the Association of Mineworkes and Construction Union (AMCU) president Joseph Mathunjwa said on Tuesday. “Our miners need to be valued. Mining underground is the hardest... 

Lily Mine workers take voluntary severance packages

A number of Lily Gold Mine workers in Barberton in Mpumalanga have taken voluntary severance packages and left the mine, according to the mining company. Lily Mine director of operations Mike Begg... 

Eastplats confirms probe into Crocodile River Mine deal

Eastern Platinum on Thursday confirmed that a transaction announced by the company’s former management regarding the sale of the Crocodile River Mine was being investigated. The management team was... 

Global slump in commodity demand weakens asset quality of Botswana banking sector

The asset quality of Botswana’s banking sector weakened marginally in 2015 against the backdrop of sluggish global and domestic activity, the Bank of Botswana (B0B) has said. In a press statement... 

Pangolin Diamonds kicks off new kimberlite exploration project in Botswana

Canadian gem miner Pangolin Diamonds Corporation has announced the commencement of a new drilling programme targeting five potential kimberlite mineralisation areas within the Motloutse Diamond... 

$125m capital loan to strengthen Botswana diamond cutting and polishing industry

The US government has guaranteed a $125-million loan that will be used to strengthen Botswana’s localised diamond cutting and polishing industries in order to create more jobs and contribute to... 

Suspected Zama Zamas shot and arrested in Benoni

One man died and six others were wounded during a shootout between illegal miners and members of the police’s National Intervention Unit (NIU) in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, police said on... 

Subdued diamond production hits Botswana cutting and polishing firms

The Botswana government says the value of rough diamonds supplied to local cutting and polishing firms dropped by nearly half in 2015 due to subdued local production and reduced demand in the... 

Government to decide fate of top Botswana nickel miner shortly, says minster

The Botswana government has set up a cabinet task force of five ministers to study the business model and operations of its troubled nickel miner Bamangwato Concession Limited (BCL) in order to... 

Metal Tiger reports high potential for huge copper deposits in Botswana

LSE-listed Metal Tiger Plc has announced the discovery of new copper mineralisation indicators which are potentially proof of the availability of huge deposits in the Mahumo Concession of the... 

JSE mulls Oakbay suspension

The JSE said on Friday it had informed Oakbay Resources & Energy that it was considering the suspension of its listing over the company’s failure to appoint a sponsor to replace Sasfin Capital.... 

AMCU tables wage demand in the platinum sector

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) is this week expected to start wage talks in the platinum sector. In letters sent to mining companies, the union demands a minimum of... 

Bodies of nine more illegal miners retrieved from Welkom mine

The bodies of nine more illegal miners were retrieved from underground at the Bambanani Mine west shaft in Welkom on Sunday, bringing the total to 12, Free State police said. "Last week three... 

Cosatu to march to DMR over Lily mine

The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and its affiliate National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) would next week march to the Department of Mineral Resources to demand more government action to...