Mowana Mine halts operations over financial constraints
Mowana Mine located in the vicinity of Dukwi and Mosetse villages adjacent to the second city of Francistown is reported to have put its operations on halt due to constraints over working capital.
The company which reopened last year after closing down in 2015 has been struggling to meet operational obligation such as paying employees’ salaries and production suppliers amongst others, BusinessPost has established.
The mine resumed production in March 2017 after being purchased by Leboam Holdings from its liquidator.
Briefing a full session of Tutume Sub-council early this year the mine’s then General Manager, Mr Sebele Molalapata said the mine was Leboam’s flagship copper operation with the company planning to turn around it into a vibrant and leading copper producer in the region. Ever since resuming operation Mowana Mine has been facing challenges ranging from managerial, technical and financial limitations as the company had to refurbish the mine structures as well as the machinery which was worn out as a result of the two-year closure.
The company then had to face occupational challenges in the areas of safety and environmental compliance which further hiked the operational cost at the same time putting a slow down on production and making targeted outputs even further farfetched. “The new ownership inherited abandoned mining works, and this stalled our targeted production outputs , further stretching our balance sheet as we had to revitalize the whole earth moving plants and refurbish the machinery , equipments and some components of the processing plant,” shared the Mine MD in July this year.
Mowana then secured a conditional 40 million pula working capital facility from Fujax Minerals and Energy Limited, from which it has since drawn it down to 10 million pula. On Tuesday the company revealed that it had however reached a dead end with Fujax as they could not agree over collateral when the mining firm wanted to drawdown the rest of the facility.
“We thought it would only be fair to suspend operations while we try and explore other ways of securing funding. Our hope is that the situation will be resolved soon and we can be able to restart operations,” said Mowana’s current General Manager, Dominic Doherty on Tuesday.
Mowana has production capacity of 12,000 tonnes per annum, but has since resuming operation only reached a maximum of 140 tonnes as of October this year compared to the targeted 392 tonnes.
Reports further indicate that the company has since not been able to take advantage of stable global copper commodity prices as it still continues to face equipment breakdowns which result in frequent production stoppages. Mowana mine has been the only copper mine running in Botswana, after the country’s flagship copper-nickel mine, BCL faced its demise in 2016 following government’s decision to close the mine and put it up for liquidation.
Another copper mine, Bosetu located in the North West also closed down in 2013 when its owner then, Australian Discovery Metals expressed no intention for further inject capital and instead decided to place it under liquidation. Bosetu Mine has since been bought by Khoemacau and is expected to output salable copper by late 2019 or early 2020. Khoemacau is one of the companies exploring and moving to mine copper and other base metals in the Kalahari Copper Belt.
Other companies with major undertakings in the Kalahari Copper Belt are Tshukudu Metals a subsidiary of Metal Tiger, the latter is one of the world‘s reputable companies in the area of mining base metals. The company is at advanced explorations of the lucrative copper belt which covers areas around Ghandzi district.
Despite challenges some of these exploration companies face, especially in raising capital for their operations as well as running companies like in the case of Mowana, observers say it is not over yet for Botswana copper-nickel industry which faced a halt 2 years back due to predominantly depreciation of global commodity prices.
Charles Siwawa, an internationally recognized and seasoned mining expert who is also Chief Executive Officer of Botswana Chamber of Mines is of the view that in the near future Botswana will bounce back and be recognized amongst the likes of DRC and Zambia when it comes to copper mining industry. “The Kalahari Copper belt will give us long profitable mines with life span of 20-30 years employing thousands of our skilled and non skilled personnel,” he said at the Botswana Resources Sector Conference held in June this year.
Apart from the traditional Copper-Nickel and Coal which has been complementing the lucrative diamonds sector , Botswana’s flagship mining sector for some years , it was also revealed in more business sense terms that Botswana soils are also covering reserves of some of the most valuable industrial minerals. These includes amongst others Lead, Zinc, silver, vanadium and manganese deposits which exploration experts classify as some of the world‘s high grade deposits.
Business
LLR transforms from Company to Group reporting
Botswana Stock Exchange listed diversified real estate company, Letlole La Rona Limited (“LLR” or “the Company” or “the Group”), posted its first set of group financial statements which comprise the Company and Group consolidated accounts, which show strong financial performance for the six months ended 31 December 2023, with improvements across all key metrics.
The Company commenced the financial year with the appointment of a Deputy Chairperson, Mr Mooketsi Maphane, in order to bolster its governance and enhance leadership continuity through the development of a Board and Executive Management Succession Plan.
At operational level, LLR increased its shareholding in Railpark Mall from 32.79% to 57.79% and proudly took over the management of this prime asset.
The CEO of LLR, Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng commented “During the period under review, our portfolio continued to perform strongly, with improvements across all key metrics as a result of our ongoing focus on portfolio growth and optimisation.
“We are pleased to report a successful first half of the 2024 financial year, where we managed to not only grow the portfolio through strategic acquisitions and value accretive refurbishments but also recycled capital through the disposal of Moedi House as well as the ongoing sale of section titles at Red Square Apartments. The acquisition of an additional 25% stake in JTTM Properties significantly uplifted the value of our investment portfolio to P2.0 billion at a Group level. Our investment portfolio was further differentiated by the quality of our tenant base, as demonstrated by above market occupancy levels of 99.15% and strong collections of above 100% for the period”.
The growth in contractual revenue of 9% from the prior year’s P48.0 million to the current year P52.2 million, increased income from Railpark Mall, coupled with high collection rates, has enabled the company to declare a distribution of 9.11 thebe per linked unit, which is in line with the prior year.
In line with its strategic pillars of ‘Streamlined and Expanded Botswana Portfolio’ as well as ‘Quality African Assets’, the Group continuously monitors the performance of its investments to ensure that they meet the targeted returns.
“The Group continues to explore yield accretive opportunities for balance sheet growth and funding options that can be deployed to finance that growth” further commented the CEO of LLR Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng.
Ms Mowaneng further thanked the Group’s stakeholders for their continued support and stated that they look forward to unlocking further value in the Group.
Business
Botswana’s Electricity Generation Dips 26.4%
The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has reported a significant decrease in electricity generation for the fourth quarter of 2023, with output plummeting by 26.4%. This decline is primarily attributed to operational difficulties at the Morupule B power plant, as per the latest Botswana Index of Electricity Generation (IEG) released recently.
Local electricity production saw a drastic reduction, falling from 889,535 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 654,312 MWH in the period under review. This substantial decrease is largely due to the operational challenges at the Morupule B power plant. Consequently, the need for imported electricity surged by 35.6% (136,243 MWH) from 382,426 MWH in the third quarter to 518,669 MWH in the fourth quarter. This increase was necessitated by the need to compensate for the shortfall in locally generated electricity.
Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) was the principal supplier of imported electricity, accounting for 43.1% of total electricity imports during the fourth quarter of 2023. Eskom followed with 21.8%, while the remaining 12.1, 10.3, 8.6, and 4.2% were sourced from Electricidade de Mozambique (EDM), Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Nampower, and Cross-border electricity markets, respectively. Cross-border electricity markets involve the supply of electricity to towns and villages along the border from neighboring countries such as Namibia and Zambia.
Distributed electricity exhibited a decrease of 7.8% (98,980 MWH), dropping from 1,271,961 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 1,172,981 MWH in the review quarter.
Electricity generated locally contributed 55.8% to the electricity distributed during the fourth quarter of 2023, a decrease from the 74.5% contribution in the same quarter of the previous year. This signifies a decrease of 18.7 percentage points. The quarter-on-quarter comparison shows that the contribution of locally generated electricity to the distributed electricity fell by 14.2 percentage points, from 69.9% in the third quarter of 2023 to 55.8% in the fourth quarter. The Morupule A and B power stations accounted for 90.4% of the electricity generated during the fourth quarter of 2023, while Matshelagabedi and Orapa emergency power plants contributed the remaining 5.9 and 3.7% respectively.
The year-on-year analysis reveals some improvement in local electricity generation. The year-on-year perspective shows that the amount of distributed electricity increased by 8.2% (88,781 MWH), from 1,084,200 MWH in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 1,172,981 MWH in the current quarter. The trend of the Index of Electricity Generation from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 indicates an improvement in local electricity generation, despite fluctuations.
The year-on-year analysis also reveals a downward trend in the physical volume of imported electricity. The trend in the physical volume of imported electricity from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 shows a downward trend, indicating the country’s continued effort to generate adequate electricity to meet domestic demand, has led to the decreased reliance on electricity imports.
In response to the need to increase local generation and reduce power imports, the government has initiated a new National Energy Policy. This policy is aimed at guiding the management and development of Botswana’s energy sector and encouraging investment in new and renewable energy. In the policy document, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Lefoko Moagi stated that the policy aims to transform Botswana from being a net energy importer to a self-sufficient nation with surplus energy for export into the region. Moagi expressed confidence that Botswana has the potential to achieve self-sufficiency in electric power supply, given the country’s readily available energy resources such as coal and renewable sources.
Business
MMG acquires Khoemacau in a transaction valued at P23Bn
MMG Limited, the Hong Kong-based mining company specializing in base metals, has successfully concluded the acquisition of Khoemacau Copper Mine, a state-of-the-art, world-class copper asset nestled in the northwest of Botswana.
On Monday, MMG announced that the acquisition of Khoemacau Mine in Botswana was finalized on 22nd March 2024. “This acquisition enriches the company’s portfolio with a top-tier, transformative growth project and signifies a monumental milestone in the Company’s journey,” MMG communicated in an official statement published on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Upon completion of the acquisition, MMG remitted to the Sellers an Aggregate Consideration of approximately US$1,734,657,000 (over P23 billion), a sum subject to potential adjustments post-Completion.
In addition to the Aggregate Consideration, MMG, in accordance with the Agreement, advanced an aggregate amount of approximately US$348,580,000 (over P4.5 billion) as the Aggregate Debt Settlement Amount, to settle certain debt balances of the Target Group (Cuprous Capital/Khoemacau).
On November 21, 2023, Khoemacau announced that the shareholders of its parent company [Cuprous Capital] had agreed to sell 100% of their interests to MMG Limited.
MMG is a global resources company that mines, explores, and develops copper and other base metals projects on four continents. The company is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has a significant shareholder, China Minmetals Corporation, which is China’s largest metals and minerals group owned by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
On December 22, 2023, Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd received the approval from the Minister of Minerals and Energy of Botswana regarding the transfer of a controlling interest in the Project Licenses and Prospecting Licenses associated with the Khoemacau Copper Mine, a result of the Acquisition.
The Botswana Competition & Consumer Authority (CCA) on January 29, 2024, notified the market that it had given its approval for the takeover of Khoemacau Copper Mining by MMG Limited.
On January 29, 2024, the CCA issued a merger decision to the market, stating that after conducting all necessary assessments, it was ready to proceed.
The Competition Authority affirmed that the structure of the relevant market would not significantly change upon implementation of the proposed merger as the proposed transaction is not likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition, nor endanger the continuity of service in the market of mining of copper and silver ores and the production, and sale or supply of copper concentrate in Botswana.
Furthermore, the CCA stated that the proposed merger would not have any negative impact on public interest matters in Botswana as per the provisions of section 52(2) of the Competition Act 2018.
Earlier this month, Minister of Minerals & Energy, Lefoko Maxwell Moagi, informed parliament that his Ministry was endorsing the Khoemacau acquisition by MMG Limited. He noted that not only was the company acquiring the existing operation but also committing to an expansion program that would cost over $700 million to double production, create more jobs for Batswana, and increase taxes and royalties paid to the Government.