Former Mowana workers to get P23m payout

The former employees who will receive benefits are those who worked for the mine when it was under the ownership of Messina Copper Botswana before the mine was placed under liquidation in November 2015. Dutch firm, Max Power purchased the mine last year. It was renamed Kopano Copper Mine in December.

Yesterday Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) executive secretary, Kitso Phiri, told BusinessWeek that 130 of the 400 employees who will receive terminal benefits are unionised. In total, Kopano Copper Mine will pay slightly over P23 million to former Mowana employees. Phiri added that the Union will also write to the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security (MMGE), Botswana Revenue Service (BURS) and Ministry of Finance and Economic Development proposing a tax amnesty for the former employees. “Given that it has been seven years since Messina was liquidated, former employees should receive a tax amnesty as the value of the monies has been seriously eroded,” Phiri told BusinessWeek.