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From 6 July 2006, a graphic version of the current edition is available at the Daily News Online web site.

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Information reaching BOPA is that the shareholders reached the decision after realising that the cost of the project far outweighs the benefits.

Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Mr Ponatshego Kedikilwe said in an interview that government agreed that the company postpone the development with the hope that prices will go down.

The P4 billion Activox, a first of its kind worldwide, is a patented hydrometallurgical process that recovers nickel and copper metal from sulphides concentrates.

The plant was expected to create about 3 500 jobs of which 500 were to be on a permanent basis after its completion in the next eight months.

However the jobs would have to wait as high construction costs, equipment cost and the current energy crisis currently engulfing the region did not justify the capital expenditure.

A news release from the company says the government, and Norilsk Nickel have indefinitely postponed the Activox refinery project.

The release however says Norilsk Nickel will continue to develop the Activox hydrometallurgy technology.

Norilsk Nickel continues to develop the Activox hydrometallurgy technology as a viable process for nickel sulphides and the Activox Demonstration Plant in Botswana will continue to operate as a large scale test site producing LME grade nickel and copper cathodes, says the release.

However, some workers charge that the decision was not fully explained to them and they fear they might loose thir jobs.

Nothing has been clearly communicated to us as the workers. The explanation we got was that Norilsk has decided to postpone the project, said one of the workers who preferred anonymity.

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