|
Zaire Manganese
Manganese is found at two locations in western Shaba
Region,
but only one, near Kisenge, has been exploited. The
governmentowned Kisenge Mining Company ceased production of
manganese shortly
after the Benguela Railway to the Angolan port of Lobito
was closed
in 1975. Sporadic sales since 1975 have been from huge
stockpiles
accrued before the railroad closed. Production in 1968
amounted to
over 300,000 tons. Foreign businesses, usually backed by
supplier
credits and requiring substantial down payments, offered a
number
of proposals to restart manganese production, including
building a
battery factory. Nothing had come of these plans by the
early
1990s, although there was hope for renewed production once
the
Benguela Railway was reopened.
Data as of December 1993
|
