Zimbabwe: HIV rates fall, mining fees, Mwana Africa Plc
HIV / Aids plummets in Zimbabwe
Huge decline in HIV rates in Zimbabwe driven by fear of infection, says study
The big drop in the numbers of people infected with HIV in Zimbabwe is because of mass social change, driven by fear of infection, according to an international study reported today in the journal PLoS Medicine.
The scientists unravelling the reasons behind this unexpected downturn now reveal what they hope are the most important lessons in the fight against the disease for the rest of Africa.
Zimbabwe's epidemic was one of the biggest in the world until the number of people infected with HIV in Zimbabwe almost halved, from 29% to 16%, between 1997 and 2007.
Remarkably, this occurred against a background of massive social, political, and economic disruption in the country.
Zimbabwe increases exploration fees
Reuters reports that Zimbabwe has drastically increased exploration fees for diamonds and coal, in an effort to discourage companies from speculating on mining claims, state media reported on Wednesday.
The state-owned Herald newspaper said the exploration fee for diamonds had increased twenty-fold, to $1 million, while the coal fee went up five-fold to $100,000 from $20,000.
Mines Minister Obert Mpofu could not be reached for comment.
The Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines said the increase was unexpected but would not say whether it would impact new investment in the resource-rich nation.
Bindura Nickel concludes off-take deal
Mwana Africa plc said 52.9%-owned Bindura Nickel Corporation has signed an off-take agreement with Glencore International which will cover all nickel concentrate to
be produced at the restarted Trojan Mine.
Regulatory approvals in Zimbabwe have been received for the agreement.
BNC will sell all nickel concentrate produced at Trojan to Glencore until the Bindura smelter and refinery are restarted.
Glencore will pay BNC an LME-linked price on agreed terms for final contained nickel.
Mwana said that once financing has been secured, BNC expects to restart mining at Trojan, initially at a rate of 10,000tpm ramping up to 70,000tpm over 12 months.