'Rare-earth minerals could be bigger than coal'- Molale
Friday, February 08, 2019
Rare earth minerals are a group of 17 highly valued elements with applications including fuel cells, components of electric vehicles, magnets for hybrid cars and other technology. Coal, meanwhile, is estimated to be in the order of 200 billion tonnes in Botswana, with only one mine currently operational. Other players are at various stages of development across the country.
Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Minister, Eric Molale told BusinessWeek here on Wednesday that the government was advancing the development of rare earth minerals as they were the future of technology and represented a significant opportunity for beneficiation. “They will become bigger than coal because that has become the pariah of the world,” he said on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba.
The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...