Impala Platinum has insisted that Zimbabwe remains a key area of development for the company.

Following the mining firm's recent announcement that it is to buy a 29.9 per cent stake in African Platinum to develop the platinum mining operations on the Bushveld complex in South Africa, Impala has moved quickly to quash suggestions that it might be looking for a way out of Zimbabwe.

Impala's Chief Executive, David Brown, has told MiningMX that the move into the Bushveld project is designed to balance the company's portfolio.

Mr Brown said: "We still regard Zimbabwe as our largest organic growth potential within the group, but clearly we want to balance growth in South Africa and Zimbabwe."

He added: "We are still very committed to our growth in Zimbabwe and we see those ounces coming to the market in the fullness of time."

Impala is currently aiming to increase its production levels to 2.3 million platinum ounces by the end of the decade and is hopeful that by extending its operations outside Zimbabwe it can not only meet that target but also continue to up its production levels beyond 2010.

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