The Chronicle

BINDURA, Friday, October 6, 1967 — The Anglo American Corporation has announced a £10 000 000 investment programme in Rhodesia nickel mining which will bring nickel into the line with chrome and asbestos as Rhodesia’s most important mineral exports.

The announcement was made today by the chairman of the Trojan Nickel Mine, Mr Guy Nicholson, who is also manager of AAC, at a Press conference at the Trojan Mine, near Bindura.

He said that, in addition to £3 000 000 being spent on establishing the Trojan deposits, a new mine will be opened up and a smelter and refinery plant built.

The new mine, Madziwa, will be about 40 miles from Bindura and 20 miles north of Shamva in remote country. It will also cost 3 000 000 pounds to open and develop.

The smelter and refinery, to be built on a 100acre site near the Trojan Mine will cost a further £3 500 000.

The remaining £500 000 of the overall capital cost is being sent on geological exploration work. The Minister of Mines and Lands, Mr Van Heerden, the Deputy Minister, Mr Dillon and senior Government officials attended the Press conference.

Mr Nicholson said that a new company, the Bindura Smelting and Refining Co had been formed to run the processing plant.

He said that the present known ore reserves of the two mines should earn Rhodesia more than £70 000 000 in foreign exchange. Production is planned to start at Trojan in May 1968 and at Madziwa in April 1969.

The two mines will employ about 100 Europeans and 1 500 Africans. Drilling at Trojan has already indicated ore reserves of about 10 000 000 tonnes. Further exploration is going on.