Congo govenor tells of Rautenbach ordeal

MOISE Katumbi, the governor of the mineral-rich Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said he personally took Camec shareholder Billy Rautenbach to the airport after he was declared persona non grata by the DRC government.

A statement from Rautenbach described reports of his arrest, interrogation and the confiscation of his passport as “totally unfounded.” There was no mention in the statement of his deportation.

The DRC government issued a second statement in as many weeks backed up by comments from Katumbi, leaving no doubt Rautenbach, an old mining hand in central Africa, was no longer permitted to enter the country.

“I myself took him to the airport and his passport was stamped to keep him out of the Congo. The order came from the central government in Kinshasa and he signed for it himself,” Katumbi told Miningmx.

Asked why Rautenbach had been thrown out of the DRC and for more details, the normally talkative Katumbi referred all such queries to the central government.

“The central government sent me a request from the minister of the interior to chase him from Katanga. They did not want him in our country. He was deported. He is persona non grata,” Katumbi said.

Rautenbach is the former head of DRC's state-owned mining company Gecamines.

The UK’s Sunday Times newspaper said he had been accused of fraud, theft, corruption and violating commercial law. The accusations are related to charges Rautenbach faces in South Africa.

An armed escort had seen him to the airport and aboard his private aircraft, which flew him home to Zimbabwe, the Sunday Times reported.

Asked if Rautenbach’s deportation would affect Camec’s Luita operation in Katanga province or its $1.9bn bid for TSX-listed Katanga Mining, Katumbi again referred all questions to the central government.

“I’m the governor. I don’t know anything about the operations of the mine. You’ll have to ask the minister of mines,” he said.

Central African Mining and Exploration Company (Camec) has said in a statement it disputes the authenticity of the document expelling Rautenbach, who is thought to own 18% of the London-based company.

“Even if it were authentic, it would not affect any of Camec’s operations in the Congo; Mr Rautenbach is not involved in the operational management of the company’s projects.”

Camec has the Luita project in the DRC. Luita is planned to produce 40,000 tonnes of copper and 6,000 tonnes of cobalt a year by the end of March 2008. Camec has plans to grow this to 100,000 tonnes of copper and 12,000 tonnes of cobalt by the end of next year, making the company the single largest producer of cobalt.

A tie up with Luita and Katanga’s Kamoto operation would account for a fifth of global cobalt supply. It might also be the precursor to a bid for Nikanor, which shares the same ore body Katanga is mining, said Mark Smith, an analyst at Renaissance Capital.

Gecamines, an owner of 25% of Katanga’s Kamoto mine and facilities, has taken legal advice on the potential transaction, said Smith.

Camec has a 22% stake in Katanga and said it has locked up a further 32% of shares, including the 24% held by George Forrest, who has given his support for Camec’s bid, the Sunday Times reported.

Source : www.miningmx.com