NEWSECONOMY
Mabolia and the Mining Cadastre (CAMI), for the exploitation of Manono lithium with the Australians of AVZ MINERALS?
August 17, 2023
Kiki Kienge
By Kiki Kienge
It is no longer a secret, the development for the exploitation of Manono lithium in the province of Tanganiyka is at high sea at the moment following politico-political interventions and the almost personal interests of certain former -leaders and not Congolese state companies.
Highly coveted by world powers and multinationals, the Manono hard rock lithium deposit, one of the safest in the world, is the economic and geostrategic base between the Western and Eastern blocks, in the middle of the Australians of the AVZ MINERALS group which has highlighted by its feasibility studies this Congolese wealth on the international level.
The People's Republic of China through a Chinese group, ZIJIN already present in the DR Congo in the cobalt and copper mining sector, did not go there with gloves.
Attempting a purchase of 15% of the shares of the joint venture DATHCOM, between the Congolese State, AVZ MINERAL which owns 75% including 15% purchased from the Chinese, Simon Cong .
A sale which had been judged illegal by the General Inspectorate of Finance, financial control body of the presidency of the DR Congo, since sold at 33,400,000 $US than the 150,000,000 $Us of the real value on the market at the time of sale.
After the finalization of the feasibility study of AVZ MINERALS through the DATHCOM joint venture, the Ministry of Mines headed by H. E. Antoinette Nsamba Kalambayi , had agreed to the change of the exploration permit granting the exploitation permit to DATHCOM which should allow the start of lithium ore mining at Manono.
But here is the former all-powerful reigning Mining Cadastre (CAMI), Felix Mupande for reasons still unknown until now had blocked the operating permit in his drawers, which after a few political maneuvers was canceled by the same Minister of Mines of the DR Congo, something that has so far blocked the exploitation of lithium.
As the destiny of any "king" would be the decline one day or another, Félix Mupande by the will of the Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi was put aside from the Mining Cadastre and replaced by Paul Mabolia , who seems to want to change the things at CAMI and get personally and directly involved in making the Manono lithium project a reality.
Paul Mabolia in the vision of Félix Tshisekedi, has just renewed relations with the Australian group AVZ MINERALS, receiving the Mr. Nigel Ferguson CEO of the company accompanied by a delegation of representatives in the Manono project, this August 15, 2023, a visit of courtesy at the headquarters of the Mining Cadastre.
Courtesy which in all the business and political lagooning would only sound like a resumption of working sessions between the Mining Cadastre and AVZ Minerals for discussions on the resumption of collaboration, of course of the Manono lithium project.
What can I say other than not wishing for the start of the effective exploitation of lithium in Manono, something that the entire population of the province of Tanganyika in particular and all of the DR Congo in general hopes for, for the development and the jobs that should be created by this project.
Old mate owes a few VB slabs still..
