Implats dispute with Zimbabwe deepens

A war of words between South Africa’s Impala Platinum and Zimbabwe intensified when the world’s second-biggest platinum producer denied offering to hand over a stake in its local unit to the government. Implats is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange...

Fairtrade Foundation to certify African gold

The group will work with eight mining groups in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to address dangerous working practices and environmental damage in small-scale gold mining. See http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page504?oid=146833&sn=Detail&pid=92730....

Vedanta betrays the people – yet again!

UK-listed Vedanta Resources is rarely out of the headlines, accused of betraying the very people it purports to support and respect. Last week, the company tried to prevent a public hearing into its plans to expand a stalled alumina refinery in the Indian state of...

South Africa's implacable labouring foes

Violent confrontations between two South African unions have so far cost three mineworker’s lives, and the situation shows little sign of being peacefully resolved. At the heart of the conflict are not just labour issues, but the political affiliations of the...

Zambia shuts Mopani Copper leach plant on pollution violations

Zambia has closed a copper treatment plant belonging to Glencore International’s Mopani Copper Mines for pollution violations, the state environmental agency said on Monday. See http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE82405O20120305.  

Glencore/Xstrata make iron ore a priority

Glencore/Xstrata make iron ore a priority Glencore and Xstrata, set to create a $90 billion mining powerhouse, have put iron ore at the top of their post-merger to-do list, building up the one key commodity where they are all but absent. Yet industry sources caution...