The mainstream MDC in Johannesburg has vowed to step up a gear in preparation for elections, which it believes will be held next year. District chairman, Freedom Ndlovu, said the party would set up professional clusters to rally the public behind the party led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, in a bid to have a massive attendance at the elections, should there be a Diaspora vote. If the Diaspora is barred from voting at its bases, the MDC would make sure that its supporters register and vote at home, said Ndlovu.
Troops on the border
The South African government said this week it would deploy more army personnel on its borders with Zimbabwe and Lesotho, to strengthen security there. SA began to withdraw its police officers from the borders and replace them with soldiers last year, ostensibly to allow the lawmen to concentrate on internal crime-fighting.
The new move will also come as a blow to illegal migrants, who continue to scale the fence in pursuit of political sanctuary and better life opportunities in their more prosperous southern neighbour.
Rare earth in Tete
An Australian company, Kimberley Rare Earths Ltd (KRE), recently announced the identification of “multiple heavy rare earth oxide (HREO) targets” at its Malilongue project in the western Mozambican province of Tete, near the Zambian border.
The area has not previously been subject to any systematic mineral exploration.
A release from KRE stated that high resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric data from the company’s joint venture partner, Great Western Mining, “has been acquired and reprocessed to reveal considerable heavy rare earth potential”.
Radiometric exploration is regarded as a reliable geophysical technique for discovering rare earth deposits, and in this case the data “highlighted a number of high priority targets that warrant immediate follow up”. – (AIM)
Implats concerned
Impala Platinum says it has not received any official notification from the government to sell a stake in its Mimosa mine.
This comes after Zimbabwean Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere reportedly told media on Sunday that the world’s second-largest platinum miner should dispose of its interest in Mimosa to facilitate indigenisation. Kasukuwere reportedly said that Implats should leave its Aquarius Platinum as the shareholder of reference for funding and technical support. Implats noted “with concern” Kasukuwere’s statements.
Post published in: Africa News