EL NINO, MEGA HAVE TENDERS TO SIEVE DIAMOND - MOLELEKI

 

 
The Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Monyane Moleleki says the El nino and Mega companies are in possession of a tender to sieve diamond at Lets'eng-la-Terae. He said this when answering a question raised by a Member of Parliament for Qalo constituency, Mr. Mopshatla Mabitle in the National Assembly on Monday last week.

Mr. Moleleki said the tender permits the El nino and Mega companies to sieve soil that was left by people that used to dig at Lets'eng-La-Terae to determine as to whether they can get any diamonds, saying the sievingprocess is done with the agreement with the government, which emanates from the agreement signed by the government and Lets'eng Diamond Company.

The Minister of Natural resources  noted that the agreement permits Lets'eng Diamond Company to carry out the job on its own or by allowing other contractors to carry out the job, provided that such companies comply with provisions of the law. He therefore clarified that; invitations for tenders could not be made as the mining lease permitted the Lets'eng Diamond Company to get any contractors that can make tenders from all over the world.

Mr. Moleleki, said the Elnino Company is owned by H. Moch, A. Vercruysse, J.H. Van der Walt, A.E.L.C. Cornelissen, L. Harlin and C.A. Edwards, while Mega Company is owned by M. Van Stittert, C. Boy and J. Bam. He said the Lesotho government's representative at Lets'eng-La-Terae mine is Mr. Sekara Jerry Monethi who has been at that mine since June.

The Minister was answering the question asked to explain how the El nino and Mega mining contractors got the tender to sieve diamond at Lets'eng-La-Terae and whether an advertisement was ever made for tendering. The concern was also to know, who are the owners of El nino and Mega mining, especially their names and also whether there is any government representative in the project.

20 October 2003

  SOURCE: LENA