[miningmx.com] — ZIMPLATS remained in negotiations with the Zimbabwe government over its indigenization proposals and still retained its mining licence according to Impala Platinum (Implats) CEO David Brown .
Implats – the world’s second largest producer of platinum – is the controlling shareholder in Australian-listed Zimplats.
Responding to the latest comments by indigenisation and economic empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere made in Harare yesterday Brown commented, “I have only seen the Reuters report in which the government said it was considering cancelling our mining licence.
“We are awaiting clarification but we are not aware that the mining licence has been pulled. It’s fair to say we are still in discussions with the Zimbabwe government over our indigenization proposals.’
According to Reuters, Kasukuwere said Zimbabwe could prosecute or cancel the mining licence held by Zimplats.
He commented, ” Zimplats continues to defy the laws of this land, continues to abuse the process.’
He added that agreement had been reached with Rio Tinto’s Murowa mine and a deal was “imminent’ with the Mimosa mine which is a 50/50 JV between Aquarius Platinum and Impala Platinum.
Kasukuwere’s hard-line stance is totally at odds with the position on indigenization laid out by Tapiwa Mashakada – Zimbabwe’s minister of economic planning and investment promotion – at the Africa Down Under conference held in Perth, Australia.
Mashakada described Kasukuwere’s prior action in rejecting all 175 indigenisation applications received from mining companies as “a single-handed act by one member of government’ and said that Kasukuwere’s actions had not been approved by the Zimbabwe cabinet which had the final say.
He added, “the Zimbabwe cabinet has agreed to give investors a reasonable amount of time to work on their compliance plans. We do not intend to force indigenization down investors’ throats.’
Mashakada’s comments were backed up by Matthew Neuhaus, Australia’s ambassador to Zimbabwe who commented a far more positive outlook would become clear by the end of the year.
Neuhaus said, “there is a considerable difference of views on the issue of indigenization and the requirement for 51% indigenous ownership is not a position endorsed by the Zimbabwean cabinet.’
