Rain halts work at United Manganese of Kalahari mine
The Northern Cape mine halts production as heavy rain floods its opencast pits and roads
Heavy rainfall in the Northern Cape over the past week has hit production from at least one of SA’s big manganese miners. United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK), a joint venture between Renova and a number of local shareholders including the ANC’s investment arm, Chancellor House, has had to declare force majeure at its mine near Hotazel. SA is the world’s biggest producer of manganese. A Transnet programme is under way to upgrade the capacity of the rail line between the Northern Cape mines and the Port of Ngqura, near Port Elizabeth, to 16-million tonnes a year by 2021 and build a new bulk terminal at the port. In its 2015-16 financial year, it transported 9.6-million tonnes. UMK said on January 6 it was receiving abnormal rainfall, which had flooded its opencast pits and rendered haul roads unserviceable and unsafe. It was expecting to receive more rain this week. It said pumping out excess water at the mines would begin as soon as feasible. It could take up to a week after rainfall ...
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