New Katanga governor Moise Katumbi showed a strong hand for the second time last week, when he deported controversial businessperson Billy Rautenbach back to Zimbabwe.

Rautenbach is linked to London-listed Central African Mining & Exploration (Camec).

Earlier this year, Katumbi put an effective end to random, informal mining and is insisting on bona fide investment in Katanga, once a rich mining area.

An emailed statement distributed by London-based public relations company Bell Pottinger, on behalf of the Katanga provincial government, said that Rauten-bach was informed that he had been barred from the DRC by the Interior Ministry in Kinshasa on July 17.

“The government of the DRC is making strenuous efforts to clean up the mining sector in the country, and has taken seriously South African charges of fraud, corrup- tion and other crimes against Rautenbach,” the statement said.

Rautenbach, who is a major shareholder in the Aim-listed Camec, which owns copper-mining properties in the DRC, was apprehended after the company held a press briefing contesting the validity of the persona non grata order and claiming that he had entered the DRC despite it.

After authorities discovered that Rautenbach had entered the country, he was detained by the Katanga provincial authorities and deported a day later.

“We need to make it clear to the world that, even if we have as yet no extradition facilities in place, we will not continue to allow such people to operate in the DRC with impunity,” said Katumbi.

“Mr Rautenbach had amassed a large number of mineral and other assets in the DRC during the civil war and subsequently,” the statement said.

Camec, which is chaired by former England cricket player Philippe Edmonds, is also currently engaged in a hostile bid for fellow DRC-focused copper firm Katanga Mining.

The company, which already owns a 22% stake in Katanga, is offering shareholders 17 Camec shares for every Katanga share.