Mopani CEO detained at Lusaka airport as Zambia’s feud with Glencore takes sinister turn
ZAMBIA’S feud with Glencore took a sinister turn after the
head of the company’s local copper company was prevented from leaving the
country, said Bloomberg News.
Citing Zambia’s state-owned ZNBC TV, the newswire said
Nathan Bullock, CEO of Mopani Copper Mines, was stopped at the airport in
Lusaka.
According to the report, Bullock was detained on suspicion
that he was fleeing the country without informing the government.
Bloomberg News cited Glencore as saying the CEO was heading
back to his home in Australia to spend time with his family.
He was detained in connection with the company’s decision to
place its mines on care and maintenance last week and has since been released,
said Bloomberg quoting from a statement issued by Glencore.
Tensions between Glencore and the Zambian government have
escalated rapidly after the company announced on April 7 that it would place
the assets owned by Mopani Copper on care and maintenance. It said COVID-19
restrictions had added one pressure too many for the assets to bear – a view
Zambia’s mines minister, Richard Musukwa, said was unjustified.
“They’ve been given seven days to show why their license
should not be cancelled or revoked,” Zambia’s mines ministry permanent
secretary, Barnaby Mulenga, told Bloomberg News in a telephonic interview.
Glencore said workers affected by its plan to put Mopani
Copper mines on care and maintenance would get basic pay and contractors would
receive an ex gratia payment “… over and above what is required by our
contractual agreements”. Glencore is the controlling shareholder in Mopani
Copper.
Glencore guided to production of between 50,000 to 70,000
tons of copper from Mopani Copper in the 2020 financial year. Glencore still
expected to produce about 270,000 tons from its Katanga Copper Mines this year,
the other constituent of its African Copper division.
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