Modern Mining October 2019

EVENTS

Africa’s miners meet in Gaborone The fifth annual Africa Mining Summit was held in Gaborone, Botswana, on 24-25 September this year. The event, which was opened by Eric Molale, Botswana’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology & Energy Security, attracted over 250 delegates from around Africa, including Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Mining and senior officials from 14 African countries. devoted to pre-arranged, 15-minute, ‘match-mak- ing’ meetings. Keynote speakers this year included Boubacar Bocoum, Lead Mining Specialist at the World Bank; Professor Fred Cawood, Director of the Wits Mining Institute; Dr Gavin Andersson, Director, Andersson Afrika; and Lira Ralebese, Deputy Principal Secretary of Lesotho’s Ministry of Mining. The welcoming address was given by Hussien Hassan of the African Union Commission.

O rganised by GRV Global, the Summit was held under the auspices of – and in partner- ship with – the African Union Commission and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology & Energy Security of Botswana, with the goal of advancing the ‘Africa Mining Vision’. Held now on a yearly basis, the event brings together suppliers who are looking to sell to the mining corporates, mining corporates who seek investment, investors who want to strike deals and government ministers who engage all groups to discuss new opportunities in their countries. A high- light of each conference is an extended session

The Summit included sessions on the Africa Mining Vision; mining and finance; energy; junior mining; innovation; the supply chain; and the ‘Future Revolution’ (which looked at issues such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on African mining). In his opening address, Minister Molale pointed out that a long history of minerals exploration had largely failed to benefit the African continent’s devel- opment. He emphasised that minerals had to be extracted with the full consent of communities and also noted that countries in Africa needed to look

Pictured here are the participants in the first panel discussion on the Africa Mining Vision. They are from left: Conference Chair James Campbell; Hussien Hassan, African Union Commission; Peter Lokeris, Minister of State for Minerals Development, Uganda; Eric Molale, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology & Energy Security, Botswana; Polite Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Zimbabwe; and Naana Eyiah, Deputy Minister, Ghana Ministry of Lands & Natural Resources.

22  MODERN MINING  October 2019