mmegi

Debswana pushes Cut 3 start date back

Getting bigger: Orapa Mine is due to expand from 2028 PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES
Getting bigger: Orapa Mine is due to expand from 2028 PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES

FRANCISTOWN: Debswana’s Orapa, Letlhakane, and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM) general manager, Mogakolodi Maoketsa, has announced that the highly anticipated Cut 3 Project, aimed at expanding open-pit operations, will now be commissioned in 2028, a year later than initially forecast.

Initially, Debswana had indicated that mining from Cut 3 would commence in 2027. The project is currently in the feasibility study phase and preparations for commissioning are set to start in 2025. Maoketsa explained at a stakeholder briefing last week that the reason for the delay is the ample stock from Cut 2 operations due to economic trends and market volatility.

He stated, "The stockpiles and available resources at Cut 2 will last us for several years." The Cut 3 Project involves expanding the 52-year-old Orapa Mine pit to access previously unreachable resources.

Editor's Comment
Our babies deserve better

For years, we have rightly celebrated our world-class HIV response. The PMTCT programme has been its crown jewel, ensuring HIV-positive mothers could safely nurture their newborns without fear of transmission. Now, a leaked memo exposes a terrifying reality that the lifeline has been frayed to breaking point. A key warehouse in Francistown stands empty, and access is being rationed. Official reassurances about expected consignments ring hollow to...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up