Anglo American is building infrastructure in Zimbabwe to ensure the stability of its platinum mines, with the potential for production by 2010.

According to Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of the miner, investment in the Unki prospect was crucial to ensure it retained ownership of the asset.

Speaking at a presentation of the company's half year results, Ms Carroll said this was not a move to prop up the regime of controversial president Robert Mugabe.

Anglo American has already undertaken a prefeasability study for the Unki mine and is in the process of developing the project.

Ms Carroll said the development of roads and water supply was currently taking place.

"We are not producing any platinum today, but would expect, if the political environment improves, that we would break ground and start producing in the year 2010," she added.

According to reports from Mining Weekly, the project is a "very big" orebody and Ms Carroll emphasised that the continued interest in the project did not mean the company was paying taxes to the government.



Source:

Anglo developing roads, water infrastructure in Zimbabwe – Carroll
http://www.miningweekly.com/article.php?a_id=139593