Mugabe cancels nephew's uranium mining deal

Mugabe cancels nephew's uranium mining deal

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By Lebo Nkatazo

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has cancelled a bid won by his nephew to explore uranium in a joint venture with an Australian company, a cabinet minister confirmed Tuesday.

Lowenbrau Mining Services, which is owned by Robert Zhuwawo, younger brother to Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Patrick Zhuwawo, entered into a joint venture last year with Australian listed company Omegacorp to explore uranium in Kanyemba.

The Zhuwawos are sons to President Robert Mugabe’s sister, Sabina Mugabe.

Lowenbrau Mining Services and Omegacorp jointly won the bid last year, but it was subject to endorsement by Mugabe, but the head of state has refused to put his signature to the deal, it emerged Tuesday.

Mines Minister Amos Midzi said: “As government we have put uranium into the category of strategic minerals that must not be put into private hands.”

The minister’s statement means that the uranium exploration would be done by the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), which is currently mining diamonds at Chiadzwa in Marange.

On Monday, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono blasted ZMDC, saying it did not have the capacity to explore the minerals branding its operation as “modern day panning.”

To land the bid, Zhuwawo’s company beat eight other bidders that included two Australian companies, Africa Energy and Benadale, Zimbabwean company Perigil and Namibian firm, Kudu Resources.

Sources on Monday said Mugabe had been angered by his nephew’s teaming up with Australians, one of the countries which he sees as working with his domestic opponents to effect a “regime change”.
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