Modern Mining March 2019

MINING News

De Beers Group has announced an initia- De Beers to consolidate its assets in SA and Canada newly created role of Head of Operations, and a management team based in Johannesburg, but with additional support services in Canada.

Africa are both hugely important to the future of De Beers Group and we want to continue to grow and invest in both coun- tries. I am looking forward to working with the teams and am very grateful to have the support of Allan Rodel, who has a wealth of experience in both the South African and Canadian mining industries.” Zikalala’s role will replace those cur- rently held by Phillip Barton, CEO of DBCM, and Kim Truter, CEO of De Beers Canada, who will both leave the organisation to focus on new opportunities. Barton has been with De Beers Group for more than 30 years and has played a key role in men- toring Zikalala and developing her as his successor. Truter joined De Beers Group in 2015 as CEO of De Beers Canada, bringing with him 30 years of mining experience. His achievements at the company include bringing the Gahcho Kué mine into opera- tion in 2016 and the acquisition of the Chidliak project in 2018. Zikalala holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Witwatersrand and is a graduate of the London Business School Emerging Leaders Programme. She is a non-executive Board Director of De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa and has also served as Executive Director for various organisa- tions, including the Black Management Forum and Mintek.  ing the Nayega project into the first stages of production is a credit to our team and a significant step as we look to progress towards long-term sustainable cashflows.” The bulk sampling metallurgical test- work programme commenced in August last year to prove up the internal feasibility study previously conducted on the project. The current programme is fully funded by a major producer of manganese-based alloys, which aims to confirm the suitability of the ore in its smelting facilities. A 20 t/h scrubber plant was commissioned in late December 2018, reaching steady state production of 230 saleable tonnes per day in early January. Installed mining and processing plant equipment at Nayega has the capacity to produce approximately 6 500 tonnes per month of +35 % Mn ore, with recent explo- ration testwork results having returned grades of +40 % Mn, suggesting further potential upside to the operation. 

tive to consolidate its mining assets in South Africa and Canada into one business called De Beers Group Managed Operations. The new business will

Zikalala is an accomplished leader with more than 18 years’ experience in the min- ing industry. She began her career as an Ore Processing Engineer at the Cullinan diamond mine in 2001, and has held numerous roles as General Manager for De Beers Kimberley Mines and Voorspoed mine, and as Senior Vice-President for De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa. In her role as Deputy CEO, DBCM, she has been responsible for the De Beers Group South Africa strategy and consolidating and sim- plifying its businesses in the country. Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group, said: “We are delighted to appoint Mpumi into this new and vitally important posi- tion to focus on growing a profitable and sustainable business in both South Africa and Canada. Our businesses in these countries face very different challenges and require a leader of Mpumi’s skill, vision and experience to maximise their full potential. I am personally very pleased to see her step into this role, which she does with my full support.” Speaking about her appointment, Zikalala said: “I am very excited to be tak- ing on the role of Managing Director, Managed Operations. Canada and South

streamline opera- tional management and identify syner- gies to create a more sustainable busi- ness in the two countries. De Beers Group

Mpumi Zikalala.

Managed Operations will bring theVenetia mine, the Gahcho Kué mine and De Beers Marine under one leadership team. The restructuring was necessitated by the company’s reduced mining footprint in South Africa and Canada due to the clo- sures of the Snap Lake and Voorspoed mines, along with the imminent closure of Victor mine during May 2019. Nompumelelo (Mpumi) Zikalala will be appointed to the new role of Managing Director for De Beers Group Managed Operations, based in Johannesburg. She will move from her current role as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, DBCM, to take responsibility for the restructure. She will be supported by Allan Rodel, in the

Keras Resources completes Nayega bulk sample AIM-listed Keras Resources reports that it has completed the 10 000-tonne bulk sample at its Nayega manganese project in northern Togo and that all the necessary authorisations to export the bulk sample for metallurgical testwork have been received. The manganese ore has been transported

to a secure location in close proximity to the deep-water port of Lomé awaiting ship- ment by the end-user. Russell Lamming, CEO of Keras, com- mented: “I am delighted to announce that we have completed the bulk sample and received all the required authorisa-

tions to begin shipping the 10 000-tonne bulk sample for metallurgical testwork at the third-party ferromanganese smelter facility. The shipping, which has been scheduled for mid-March, is the final part of the bulk sampling process which has proven up the robust economics of the Nayega project. “The substantial progress Keras has made at fast track-

View of the Nayega site during the bulk sampling (photo: Keras).

16  MODERN MINING  March 2019