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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
LONG-SERVING chief executive officer for the Pan-African and multi-commodity mining group, Mwana Africa, Kalaa Mpinga, has resigned with immediate effect.
The giant mining firm confirmed Mpinga’s resignation after 12 years of service.
In a statement the company also announced that Yat Hoi Ning, a former interim non-executive chairman, is the new executive chairman while Scott Morrison, who was appointed as a non-executive director of Mwana at the extraordinary general meeting on Tuesday, has become senior independent non-executive director.
The group whose principal operations and exploration activities cover gold, nickel, copper and diamonds in Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Africa, said the changes were approved by the board of directors and took effect immediately.
Locally, Mwana Africa owns Bindura Nickel Mine, Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, Trojan Nickel Mine and Shangani Nickel Mine, which is presently under care and maintenance.
“Mpinga and Mwana have decided to part company by mutual consent. He has been a great asset in the creation of Mwana throughout its development to date. We wish him all the best in the future,” the company said on Tuesday.
“With these recent changes to the board having now taken place, it marks a clear new beginning for Mwana and its shareholders, and we’re confident that we’ve all the necessary qualities and experience to deliver success in the future.”
The mining concern, through its nominations committee, has said it will soon initiate an executive search to find a suitable successor to fill the position of chief executive officer.
Mpinga, a Congolese national, has held a number of senior positions in different locations around the world. His career has included working for Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco and Anglo American Corporation of South Africa from 1991.
In 1995, he joined the New Mining Division, the division responsible for exploration and the acquisition of resources in Africa.
He was appointed a director of Anglo American Corporation in 1997.
Mpinga left the group in December 2001 to pursue business opportunities in mining, founding Mwana Africa Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, the forerunner of Mwana Africa, in 2003.
He is also a non-executive director of Group Five Limited, a South African leasing, engineering and construction company.
Meanwhile, Ngoni Kudenga and Hebert Mashanyare have been voted out of the Mwana board during the company’s extra ordinary general meeting in the United Kingdom.
The EGM, which had been requisitioned by minority shareholders led by Ian Dearing, sought to restructure the board, with Zimbabwean-born Kudenga and Mashanyare targeted for removal.
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