Zimbabwean Company Announces Gold Production
Pan
African mining company, Mwana Africa has announced its first
gold production at its mine in Zimbabwe, two years after it was
closed due to the political crisis in the country.
The
company said it made its first gold pour of nearly two hundred
ounces after completing a refurbishment programme.
It plans
to increase its production from the current five kilogrammes a
month to over nine hundred kilogrammes by the end of the year.
The
company's Freda Rebecca Gold Mine had achieved production of
over two thousand kilogrammes of gold in 2002 before the
Zimbabwean crisis.
Zimbabwe
was once a prime source of gold, platinum, chrome and dozens of
other metals, but most mines have wound down their operations
because of the high cost of doing business.
Detention Notice
Meanwhile,
a Zimbabwean court has ordered the detention of Roy Bennett, a
senior official in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party,
and ruled he should stand trial on terrorism charges.
State
prosecutor Chris Mutangadura said he would be in custody until
he makes a bail application in the High Court.
Mr Bennet
was arrested on February 13th , as a power-sharing
government was about to be sworn in, but the Supreme Court,
freed him after spending a month in custody.
Analysts
say his latest detention is likely to raise renewed tension
between Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe as the MDC
accuses Mugabe's ZANU-PF of coming up with politically motivated
charges against its members.
AFP/REUTERS/Qasim/Ahaziah
