Govt shifts beneficiation focus to base metals
Boniface Keakabetse | Friday August 8, 2014 14:24
The base metals beneficiation would create employment and fuel economic growth and diversification, said the minister.
Mokaila revealed that Botswana has five base metals mines while there are a number of prospecting projects that are ongoing.
“Prospecting licences for base metals grew from 11 in 1975 to 453 in 2014,” he said.
He noted that the biggest driver of increased base metals mining is the copper boom in Ngamiland.
“We are witnessing advanced exploration projects of copper/silver in the North West, and this is bound to enable a huge base metals development niche in Botswana.”
The workshop was organised by Botswana Chamber of Mines and MMEWR and was attended by various mining stakeholders with the aim of formulating Botswana’s base metals beneficiation strategy.
Participants submitted recommendations to government towards this strategy.
Beneficiation has so far been actively pursued in the diamond industry which has seen the establishment of 21 manufacturing companies creating close to 3,500 jobs. Sights are set on advancing diamond benefication to the jewellery industry in Botswana with experts saying saturation has been reached in the cutting and polishing market.
Corporate strategy manager at BCL, Mack William told participants that the company is on track to set up a copper smelter and refinery plant in Selebi Phikwe as part of the drive to achieve base metals beneficiation.
The plant will produce 100 tonnes of copper per annum.
He said feasibility study for the project - which is expected to turn the copper mining town into a metallurgy hub in Southern Africa - has been done. The project, said William, will take 30-36 months to set up before it is commissioned.
He said the idea is that all the copper and nickel mines in Botswana and regionally bring their matte for processing at the plant.
The Chamber of Mines, CEO, Charles Siwawa said historically metals were produced to concentrate levels and shipped to other countries with electric skills but it has since emerged that local beneficiation can contribute more to the economy by solidifying tax revenue streams and employment creation. Siwawa concurred that benefits of beneficiation of minerals lies with the value added as opposed to selling at base price.
He also noted that Skilled Manpower and mobilisation of the entire requisite infrastructure have to be in place for beneficiation to be a reality. “Power must not only be available in abundance but also at low tariffs as furnaces consume a lot of electricty,” he said, adding that “skilled manpower is also a requisite as the processes tend to be elaborate with mineral processing hydrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy applications being required”.