Asa Resources Regulatory News (ASA)

15 Dec 2005 07:01

Mwana Africa PLC15 December 2005 BOARD APPOINTMENTS Ken Owen appointed as Technical Director and Stuart Morris appointed as Non-Executive Director of Mwana Africa plc Johannesburg & London, 15th December 2005 - The Board of Mwana Africa plc ("TheCompany"), the pan-African resource company, has appointed Mr. Ken Owen as itsTechnical Director and Mr. Stuart Morris as Non-Executive Director with effectfrom the 6th of December 2005. They will both join the Board of Mwana Africa andStuart Morris will become Chairman of the Audit Committee. Ken Owen, 56, is a senior mining engineer with over 30 years' experience in theindustry internationally. Most recently, since 2003, he has been a miningconsultant for SRK Consulting, the leading international mining and geologicalconsultancy firm, advising on major programmes including the Andina and ElTeniente copper projects for Codelco in Chile, the Olympic Dam copper anduranium mine in South Australia and new shaft projects for Impala Platinum inSouth Africa. He has also been involved in projects in Uzbekistan and Mongolia,Konkola in Zambia and Selebi Pikwe in Botswana. Between 1996 and 2003 he held senior positions in Anglo American Corporation inSouth Africa and South America, culminating in the role of Senior Vice PresidentMining for Anglo American Corporation of South Africa. From 1980 to 1995 he wasemployed by De Beers in a range of management positions in Namibia, Botswana andSouth Africa. In 1991 he was appointed General Manager for Premier Diamond Mine,South Africa within De Beers Consolidated Mines. Mr. Owen is a Fellow of the South African Institute of Mining & Metallurgy(FSAIMM). He was a Council Member of the FSAIMM between 1992-1995 and 2003-2006.He gained an M.Sc Eng. from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, London,in 1980, and a B.Sc Eng (Mining) from the University of Witwatersrand,Johannesburg in 1973. He is married with three children. Until now, one of the founding Directors of Mwana Africa, Tim Wadeson, has beenresponsible for technical developments within the Company. Mr. Wadeson willrelinquish these responsibilities to Mr. Owen, but will remain a Non-ExecutiveDirector of the Company. Stuart Morris, 59, was made a partner of KPMG South Africa in 1976, laterbecoming Chairman and a member of the KPMG International Executive & Board. In1976 he also joined the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants,ultimately being appointed its Chairman. He has also served on the JohannesburgChamber of Commerce and Industry including a period as President, on the SouthAfrican Chamber of Business as a Board Member and as a Public InvestmentCommissioner. From 1999 until 2004 when he retired Stuart was Group FinancialDirector of Nedbank Group Limited and an executive director of Nedbank. Mr.Morris also holds a number of other directorships.Commenting on the announcement, Kalaa Mpinga, Chief Executive Officer of MwanaAfrica, said: "We are delighted to welcome Ken and Stuart to the Board of Mwana Africa and tohave secured the services of such an experienced engineer as Ken for the crucialrole of Technical Director. His knowledge of mining and production challengesacross a wide range of metals and minerals internationally will be invaluable inour plans to expand our interests across Africa.We are also very pleased to welcome someone of the stature of Stuart to theBoard. His wide experience and financial knowledge will be very useful to Mwanaas we grow across Africa and in different resources." ENDS Enquiries: Kalaa Mpinga, CEO or Oliver Baring, ChairmanMwana Africa plc Tel. +44 207 654 5588 Tom Randell or Maria SuleymanovaMerlin Tel. +44 207 653 6620 The following information is provided in accordance with rule 17 of the AIMRules: Ken Owen (Kenric Charles Owen), aged 56: (a) holds and has held the following directorships or been a partner in the following partnerships within the past 5 years: Current directorships and fiduciary responsibilities: Balindela Investments Pty Ltd; Previous directorships in past five years: None; (b) has no unspent convictions in relation to indictable offences; (c) has not had any bankruptcy order made against him or entered into any individual voluntary arrangement; (d) has not been a director of a company which has been placed into receivership, compulsory liquidation, creditors' voluntary liquidation, administration or which has entered into any company voluntary arrangement or any composition or arrangement with its creditors generally or any class of its creditors, at the time of or within twelve months preceding such events; (e) has not been a partner of any partnership which has been put into compulsory liquidation, administration or entered into partnership voluntary arrangements, at the time of or within twelve months preceding such event; (f) has not had a receivership of any asset or of a partnership where he was a partner at the time of or within twelve months preceding such event; or (g) has not been publicly criticised by statutory or regulatory authorities (including recognised professional bodies) or ever been disqualified by a court from acting as a director of a company or from acting in the management or conduct of the affairs of any company. Stuart Morris (Stuart Grant Morris), aged 59: (a) holds and has held the following directorships or been a partner in the following partnerships within the past 5 years: Current directorships and fiduciary responsibilities: South African Eagle Insurance Company Limited, Group Five Limited, Global Forest Products (Proprietary) Limited, Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (Proprietary) Limited, Sasol Pension Fund (Trustee), University of the Witwatersrand (Council member), Nedberg Chalets (Proprietary) Limited, Rogmor Investments; Previous directorships in past five years (now retired): Nedcor Limited, Nedbank Limited, Nedcor Investment Bank Limited, Peoples Bank Limited, Cape of Good Hope Bank Limited; (b) has no unspent convictions in relation to indictable offences; (c) has not had any bankruptcy order made against him or entered into any individual voluntary arrangement; (d) has not been a director of a company which has been placed into receivership, compulsory liquidation, creditors' voluntary liquidation, administration or which has entered into any company voluntary arrangement or any composition or arrangement with its creditors generally or any class of its creditors, at the time of or within twelve months preceding such events; (e) has not been a partner of any partnership which has been put into compulsory liquidation, administration or entered into partnership voluntary arrangements, at the time of or within twelve months preceding such event; (f) has not had a receivership of any asset or of a partnership where he was a partner at the time of or within twelve months preceding such event; or (g) has not been publicly criticised by statutory or regulatory authorities (including recognised professional bodies) or ever been disqualified By a court from acting as a director of a company or from acting in the management or conduct of the affairs of any company. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange