Local base metals explorer and mining aspirant Horomela last month received permission from the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to assess the viability of exploring a further 600 000 ha of tenements adjacent to an existing 200 000 ha of prospecting land in the Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape belonging to the company.

The permit allows Horomela to survey the new tenements for copper, lead, silver, zinc, tungsten and uranium. The company is also continuing to undertake exploration work on all 14 of its zinc, copper, silver and lead properties.

Horomela CEO Abongile Mdingi tells Mining Weekly that the company is currently consulting with interested and affected parties in the area about its plans to perform exploration drilling on the new tenements and will also soon start undertaking environmental management plans (EMPs).

He says the company aims to complete its EMPs and initial community consultation by the end of September. Once this has been completed, Horomela will formally apply to the DMR for prospecting rights for the land.

“We are primarily focused on the copper potential of these new tenements, which will dovetail well with Horomela’s existing base metals assets. We are particularly excited about the Steinkopf 22 farm, which has more than 1 000 drill holes from previous exploration work,” Mdingi states.

He comments that the company is “very much intent” on re-examining these drill holes, as they could likely contain “strong copper anomalies”. Mdingi notes that Steinkopf 22 is more than one-million hectares in size, but that Horomela only has permission to investigate 300 000 ha of the site, as the rest of the site is worked and occupied by the community. There are also a few other mining companies on other areas of Steinkopf 22 that are investigating other mineral groups on the farm.

Meanwhile, Mdingi reveals that the company is also currently in discussions with several large locally based business entities about the possibility of investing in Horomela’s projects. While unable to name these companies yet, owing to confidentiality agreements, Mdingi informs Mining Weekly that the negotiations have so far been “very positive”.

Further, he stresses Horomela is intent on not only developing its projects but also owning operating mines once these projects reach production phase.

“We also aim to one day become one of the largest JSE-listed black-owned mining companies in South Africa,” Mdingi asserts.