Caledonia Mining

Canadian registered Caledonia is a mining, and exploration company with assets in Southern Africa. The Company's current focus is its producing Blanket gold mine in Zimbabwe, the Nama cobalt-copper project in Zambia and the Rooipoort and Mapochsgronde platinum-nickel exploration projects in South Africa.

The Blanket gold mine re-started production in April 2009 after a temporary shut-down due to the economic difficulties in Zimbabwe. In late 2010, Blanket successfully completed an expansion project which increased production capacity from 24,000 ounces of gold per annum to 40,000 ounces of gold per annum. Blanket holds significant brownfield exploration and development projects both on the existing mine area and on its satellite properties which are within trucking distance of the Blanket metallurgical recovery plant. Blanket is actively addressing these properties with a view to increasing its reserves and resources. Depending on the outcome of exploration and feasibility studies Blanket intends to significantly increase production.

The Nama Project is an advanced cobalt-copper exploration project in north-west Zambia. Caledonia has 4 mining licences covering approximately 860 square km. Exploration continues with a view to identifying an oxide resource of sufficient size and grade to support the large scale production of cobalt hydroxide. Exploration work in 2011 at Nama will also focus on two target areas with the objective of identifying traditional copperbelt mineralisation which could form the basis for an additional avenue of mining activity on the licence areas.

The Rooipoort platinum-nickel exploration project is located on the northern limb of the Bushveld complex, about 300kms north of Johannesburg. The Mapochsgronde platinum group metal exploration project is located on the eastern limb of the Bushveld complex, about 175km north-east of Johannesburg.

Caledonia has a strong, experienced management team and Board of Directors with diverse expertise in gold production, exploration, mine development, finance and marketing.

Blanket Gold Mine
     
Overview

Blanket Mine is wholly owned and operated by Caledonia Mining Corporation, who acquired the mine from Kinross Gold Corporation with effect from April 2006.

Blanket Gold Mine is a well-established Zimbabwean gold mine, which operates at a depth of approximately 800meters below surface and currently has a production capacity of 40,000 ounces of gold per annum. Blanket also holds significant brownfield exploration and development projects both on the existing mine area and on its satellite properties which are within trucking distance of the Blanket metallurgical recovery plant.

The Blanket Mine is located in the south-west of Zimbabwe approximately 15 km west of Gwanda,the provincial capital of Matabeleland South. Gwanda is 150 km south east of Bulawayo the country's second largest city and 196 km northwest of the Beit Bridge Border post with South Africa, and 560 km from Harare, Zimbabwe's capital city. Access to the mine is by an all-weather tarred road from Gwanda, which is linked from Beit Bridge to Bulawayo and Harare by a national highway.

In late 2010, Blanket successfully completed an expansion project which increased production capacity from 24,000 ounces of gold per annum to 40,000 ounces of gold per annum.

A view of the Blanket Gold Mine

For further information on the Blanket Gold Mine and Zimbabwe please click here

Rooipoort Platinum Project

In 2002, Caledonia acquired the Rooipoort PGE/Ni/Cu Project from Anglo Platinum Limited. The property is in an area that is presently undergoing a surge in platinum group elements ("PGE") exploration along a well-mineralized feature known as the "Platreef". An additional 342 hectares on the Grasvally farm, immediately adjacent to and south of the Rooipoort property was optioned in 2004 and granted a New Order Prospecting Right in May 2005 (3 year period), with a further 43 hectares portion granted in April 2006 (5 year period). Application for conversion of the Rooipoort property into a new order right in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Development Act ("MPRDA") was granted in November 2006.

In March 2006, Caledonia concluded an agreement, with Falconbridge Ventures of Africa (Pty) Ltd ("Falconbridge") to acquire a 100% interest in Falconbridge’s prospecting rights covering a total area of 4,315.81 hectares contiguous with the Company’s Rooipoort property and effectively doubles the area of Caledonia’s Rooipoort Project property underlain by Bushveld Complex rocks with PGM potential. The Falconbridge properties were granted New Order Prospecting Rights in April 2006 (3,099 hectares, for a period of 5 years) and September 2006 (1,217 hectares, for a period of 5 years). The total area of Caledonia’s New Order Prospecting Rights in the Rooipoort PGE/Ni/Cu properties is now 8,473.39 hectares.

View north from Grasvally to Rooipoort synform

For further information on the Rooipoort Platinum Project please click here

Nama Cobalt Property
     
Nama Group of Licences - Zambia

Caledonia Nama Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Caledonia, holds four contiguous Large Scale Mining Licences, which cover an area of 806 square kilometres on the northern extension of the Zambian Copperbelt and host open-pittable near-surface low grade cobalt /copper mineralization.

This area lies immediately north-west of the operating Konkola Copper mine and adjoins the extensive holdings of what was formerly Teal Mining and Exploration Limited (now a joint venture between African Rainbow Minerals and Vale).

Exploration continues with a view to identifying an oxide resource of sufficient size and grade to support the large scale production of cobalt hydroxide. Exploration work in 2011 at Nama will also focus on two target areas with the objective of identifying traditional copperbelt mineralisation which could form the basis for an additional avenue of mining activity on the licence areas.

In 2004 a mini bulk sample of 30 tonnes was excavated at Nama A (Discovery) site.

For further information on the Nama Cobalt Property please click here

Carl R. Jonsson, LLB - Chairman, Secretary and Director 

Mr. Jonsson received his Bachelor of Laws Degree from the Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia, Canada. He has spent the whole of his professional career as a practising lawyer and is the senior principal of the Vancouver law firm of Tupper, Jonsson & Yeadon. 

For more than 35 years Mr. Jonsson’s legal practice has been as a specialist involved in securities and corporate law - with a particular focus on mineral exploration, mining and oil and gas companies. Mr. Jonsson has sat on the Board of Directors of many public companies, primarily involved in natural resource exploration. His work has been involved extensively with the securities laws of Canada and to some extent the US and other jurisdictions as well as the rules and requirements of the Toronto and Vancouver Stock Exchanges and the US NASDAQ. 

Mr. Jonsson has, in his legal practice and as a result of his positions with many public companies, become familiar with the principal requirements for accounting and auditing and is accordingly qualified to act as a member of the audit committee of Caledonia. 

Mr. Jonsson has been a director of Caledonia since February 1992 and prior to that date he was a director of one of the predecessor companies, Golden North Resources Inc. for many years. Mr. Jonsson is resident in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is a principal of the law firm Tupper, Jonsson and Yeadon. Mr. Jonsson sits on the board of directors of several companies in Canada. 

Mr Jonsson was appointed Caledonia’s Company Secretary in January 2006 and Chairman on December 10, 2010. 

Stefan E. Hayden - President, Chief Executive Officer and Director 

Mr. Hayden has extensive experience as a company manager in South Africa. Initially he founded, developed and managed an engineering company that manufactured flameproof mining machinery. He followed this by managing a company holding the Massey Ferguson franchise in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and returned it to profitability for the then owners Standard Corporate Merchant Bank. He then founded and managed the South African agency for heavy electrical equipment sales and installations for Toshiba Corporation of Japan. He has been Managing Director of Industrial Brokers, a family company specializing in the procurement of steel and mining machinery, since 1971 and continues in this position. 

With his wide managerial, electrical and mechanical, and mining experience Mr. Hayden has acted as technical advisor to numerous mines and companies in Southern Africa. Prior to their acquisition by Caledonia, Mr. Hayden was the Chief Executive Officer of Eersteling Gold Mining Company Limited and Barbrook Mines Limited. He joined Caledonia in 1995 and was appointed Managing Director, African Operations responsible for the development of Caledonia’s business in Africa. He is a Director of and responsible for all Caledonia’s subsidiary companies in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia and has been directly responsible for the expansion and running of Caledonia’s exploration programs in Zambia which are noteworthy as being probably the most extensive and intensive exploration undertaken by any exploration company in Zambia during the 1995/97 period. In June 1996, Mr. Hayden was elected as a Director of Caledonia and subsequently appointed Deputy Chairman of Caledonia. He served as Chairman of Caledonia from January 1997 to February 2005. In June 1997 he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer.

Steve Curtis, C.A. (SA) - Vice President Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Director 

Mr Curtis is a Chartered Accountant with over 24 years experience and has held a number of senior financial positions in the manufacturing industry. Before joining Caledonia in March 2006, he was Director Finance and Supply Chain for Avery Dennison SA and prior to this Financial Director and then Managing Director of Jackstadt GmbH South African operation. Mr Curtis is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and graduated from the University of Cape Town. He was appointed to the Caledonia board in July 2008

James Johnstone, B.Sc., ARCST, P.Eng. - Director 

A graduate mining engineer, Mr. Johnstone has 40 years experience in mine operations in North America, Africa, Europe and Asia. He has experience in both underground and open pit operations. 

For the past 20 years he has been employed as General Manager or Vice President Operations for mining companies producing gold, base metals and industrial minerals. Mr. Johnstone has been responsible for the construction, start up and commissioning of two major mines. He has operated successfully in several environmentally sensitive areas worldwide. 

Mr. Johnstone joined Caledonia in April 1997 as Vice President Operations and was responsible for Caledonia’s operations in Zambia and South Africa and for all activities in Canada. He was elected a Director of Caledonia in June 1997 and is a director of several of Caledonia’s subsidiaries. He retired from active employment with Caledonia in September 2006, but continues as a director.

Christopher Harvey, LRIC, HNC (Chem.) - Director 

A Chemistry graduate from Wigan Mining College in Britain, Mr. Harvey has spent a major part of his career in the international mineral processing industry. 

Prior to immigrating to Canada in 1987 from South Africa he worked for the Anglo American Group in a number of senior metallurgical positions. These included projects associated with gold and copper/cobalt production & gold, uranium and sulphuric acid production from old gold tailings. 

Mr. Harvey joined Doelcam, a predecessor of Caledonia, in 1989 and as Vice President (Operations) was responsible for a number of mining property evaluations and production in several countries. He was appointed Senior Vice President of Caledonia at its inception in 1992 and was elected as a Director in 1993. 

He has since held a number of senior positions within the company. He was the company’s Technical Director until his retirement from active employment in December 2005. He continues as a Director of several of Caledonia’s subsidiaries and provides consulting services to the company.

Robert Babensee - Non-executive Director 

Mr Babensee is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and joined Caledonia’s Board in October 2008. He has been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Canada since 1968. 

From 1984 until his retirement in 2004, he was a partner of the Canadian accounting firm BDO Dunwoody LLP as an assurance specialist. He served as Chief Financial Officer for Golden China Resources Corporation, a natural resource company, between February 2005 and July 2006. 

Mr Babensee is also currently a non-executive Director and a member of the audit, compensation and nominating committees of Apollo Gold Corporation, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and has gold exploration, development and producing assets in Canada, the USA and Mexico. 

Caledonia has 500,169,280 shares issued. The Directors and Officers hold 283,769 of the issued shares of Caledonia - being less that 0.06% of the total number of issued shares. The remaining 99.94% of the issued shares are in public hands .

For further information please click here