ZIMBABWE hosts Impala Platinum’s (Implats) best operating division in the form of subsidiaries Zimplats and Mimosa Platinum and having the country seen as “risky” by other mining companies actually helps the group.

That’s the view of Implats CEO Nico Muller who told delegates at the PGMs Industry Day investment conference held in Johannesburg that Implats also received far better government support for its Zimbabwean operations than it did from the South African government for its South African mines.

“Zimbabwe has been our best jurisdiction in which to operate over the past 20 years. It’s the jurisdiction where we have had the least amount of disruptions and where we have had the most predictable production profile.

“We also have our safest operations there along with the best control over costs and our projects there are always on schedule.”

Muller added: “Personally, I am quite happy that the jurisdiction is seen as a risk by most other competitors because it allows us to continue expanding our interests in the jurisdiction”.