A POLICE officer was killed at Kenmare Resources’ Moma mine in Mozambique in an event related to the theft of electrical cables, the UK-listed firm said today.
On September 30, the deceased was assaulted while on guard at the mine’s water pump station in Pilivili, about 16 kilometres from Moma’s mineral separation plant, the company said in a statement.
Kenmare MD Tom Hickey said the company was “actively supporting the investigation” undertaken by the local police. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident,” he added.
The Police of the Republic of Mozambique have dispatched an investigation team from Nampula to site and Kenmare is liaising with the commanding officer to support the process. The company is also increasing security provision at Moma to allow security personnel to work in pairs.
During this incident, the police officer sustained “significant head trauma”. He was taken to the Kenmare Clinic within Moma’s camp “but unfortunately passed away”, the company said. “The incident appears to have been motivated by theft, with the electrical cable that feeds the pump station stolen,” it added.
Moma mine, situated in northern Mozambique, produces titanium feedstocks ilmenite – used primarily in the paint pigment industry – and rutile. It also mines zircon which is consumed by the ceramics industry.
Commenting in its second quarter and interim report for the 2025 financial year, the company said trading conditions had been affected by increased supply of heavy minerals concentrate from Africa including Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Nigeria by Chinese producers. Combined with increased ilmenite production within China has resulted in market oversupply.
It subsequently booked an impairment of no more than $125m on its first half accounts as it expected long-term prices for its minerals to be “slightly lower” than forecast.
