Africa-Press – Botswana. The expansion phase of the MMG Khoemacau copper mine project is expected to create 3 000 new jobs by 2027 from the current 1 947.
Operations manager, Mr Weiquan Xia informed the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major General Pius Mokgware during a tour of the mine on Wednesday.
He said they were committed to increase production to deliver 130 kilo-tonnes of copper during the mine’s 20-year lifespan, and in the process create more employment openings.
“We expect few international employees and will ensure they transfer skills to the locals. We have a new mining contractor starting July and have agreed with management to prioritise hiring of locals,” he added.
Mr Xia said they had acquired mining and prospecting licences in the region to unlock the full potential of the Kalahari Copper Belt.
Giving an overview of the mine general manager, Mr Logic Sebopeng said the majority of employees were citizens outside North West District which contributed 335 of the headcount while 181 were international employees.
Mr Sebopeng said the mine was operating in the emerging but highly prospective Kalahari Copper Belt in the mining friendly region and held 166Mt of high grade copper and silver.
“We have a state of the art plant which is capable of producing up to 65 000 tonnes of copper in concentrate annually,” said Mr Sebopeng, adding that the plant was designed to treat sulphide ores from Zone five, utilising conventional sulphide flotation techniques.
He also noted that the mine had increased expenditure on local procurement.
Maj. Gen. Mokgware was impressed to learn about the future of the mine and that it prioritised hiring local skilled labour. He said the government encouraged contractors especially foreign ones to hire locals, so that there was skills transfer and also that the mine respected workers’ rights. The minister and his entourage had an opportunity to tour Zone five, the underground operation and Boseto processing plant.
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