Zimbabwe's Platinum Giant Cedes Shareholding
The country's biggest platinum mine, Zimplats, has been compelled to reduce its shareholding to 49 percent or less in line with the country's controversial indigenisation and empowerment laws.
InFocus
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The ministry of Empowerment is investigating Tongaat Hulett for trying to evade indigenisation in what seems to be a Zanu-PF electioneering ahead of next year's polls. Read more »
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So the deal says that Zimplat will vendor finance $961M of this deal. Let's think this through folks 1- Is the Indigenisation fund operating yet? 2- Zimplat will charge 10% interest/year (which in Zimbabwe's current situation is very good. No one can borrow from a bank in Zim, or in most African countries at this rate, we are more used to 15-18% rates) 3- The funds will be reimbursed from 85% of declared dividends. This is where I have a serious issue with this deal. To date, Zimplat has paid very little in dividends and rightly so because they are reinvesting most of the profits from the mine into its expansion. With a Life of Mine for Mimosa of 40 years, starting 2008, and average dividend payouts in the industry below 7%, I don't see how the communities, or the Indigenisation Fund will actually take home any meaningful amount, which was the all point of this exercise. I still believe that well structured royalties split between communities and the state are a much better answer than equity stakes in project which aren't truly of interest to the protagonists. - One last caviat, when comes cash calls, everyone either pays or get diluted, I wonder how that will work if the dilution brings the Zimbabwean shares below 51%! Africans wake up let's not be fooled by smoke screens...
This is real non-sense and political posturing! Do they think that we are ignorant? The laws are fine, it is them political vultures who violate it everyday, giving licenses to their partners, refusing to share the wealth with local communities!Only 3 weeks ago Amplats paid the Zim govt electricity bill with Mozambique for $80M...where is the money from the diamonds mines? Look at the fiasco of the Essar iron ore deal! who are you kidding Mr. Mutambara!?