Published: 13 July 2017

NEW York Stock Exchange-listed Kemet Corporation has invested in a tantalite mine in Zimbabwe and signed an off-take agreement for the supply of four tonnes of the industrially useful metal per month, a parliamentary committee has revealed.

Tantalite, with viable deposits found in Mutoko, Buhera, Masvingo, Marondera, Murehwa, Mberengwa and the Seke area in Zimbabwe, is used in the manufacture of capacitors for electronic equipment, including mobile phones and computers.

Simpsonville, South Carolina-headquartered Kemet, is a leading global supplier of electronic components, whose name is a blend of "chemical" and "metallurgy", was created in 1919 by Union Carbide, a company which has a lengthy history with Zimbabwe.

Harare lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa told lawmakers investigating community share ownership schemes set up in the industrial stone-rich Mudzi and Mutoko that his company, Kilwright Mining Company, had partnered Kemet in a tantalite venture in Mudzi, 235 kilometres north east of Harare.

Mlotshwa told the lawmakers that he had taken over the mine from Tantco in 2011. The mine had been mothballed since then as he scouted for investors.

"Mr Mlotshwa informed the Committee that he had found a potential investor, Kemet Corporation, an American company which is the largest consumer of tantalite in the world. In 2015, Kemet Corporation signed a deal with Mr Mlotshwa to buy 4 000 kilograms of tantalite from him per month," the committee said in a report tabled in Parliament on June 13 this year.

"Mr Mlotshwa further informed the Committee that he had secured funding from banks, which was approved in April 2016. Kemet Corporation funded the mine to the tune of $300,000 while Mr Mlotshwa contributed $200 000. The full operations of the mine were expected to commence in August, 2016."

However, government allocated the Kilwright's claims after the company failed to pay its annual fees and handed them over to Lamblight Syndicate.

Kilwright has since gone to the High Court to challenge the revocation of its claims.

The matter is still pending at the court, the Parliamentary Committee reported.

Apart from tantalite, Mudzi district has gold, manganese and black granite.

Mudzi district has 113 registered gold locations while Mutoko has 89.

There are eight registered black granite mining locations in Mudzi district, while Mutoko has 25.

Mudzi has nine industrial minerals mining locations and Mutoko has 23.

Industry players complain about high levies - a claim of gold costs $5 per hectare while, $10 per hectare is charged for base metals such as tantalite.
- fingaz