Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU) an African focused mining and development company, is pleased to announce a number of key management appointments, including the appointment of Tokkas Van Heerden, as Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) of the Company in a non-board position.
These appointments strengthen Marula’s management team at both the corporate level at its headquarters in Nairobi and across its operational bases in East and Southern Africa. The new management appointments come as the Company advances its planned listing on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market and as the Company looks to deliver on its mine production and development strategy in the battery metals sector in Africa.
Highlights:
· Mr Tokkas van Heerden appointed as COO of the Company and responsible for the successful development and operation of its mining operations through Africa.
· Mr Henk van Zyl and Mr Edward Ruheni appointed as General Manager Operations Southern Africa and General Manager of Operations East Africa respectively.
· Other key management appointments include Ms Melissa Ndele appointed as the Group’s Financial Controller, Ms Shiko Muchai as the Company’s Joint Company Secretary, Ms Faith Kinyanjui appointed as the Company’s Investor Relations Manager and Ms Eunice Wairima as the Company’s Social Corporate Responsibility and ESG Manager, all based at the Company’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
· A strengthening of the Company’s Board of Directors is underway with a number of key independent and non-executive appointments to be made ahead of the planned listing on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market to better represent the Company’s activities and presence in Southern and East Africa. Further announcements will be made in due course.
Jason Brewer, Marula Mining PLC CEO said:
“The past several months have proven to be transformational for Marula and have seen the Company go from strength to strength, with a number of milestones in all of its planned mine operations and mine development activities.
“This growth and our ongoing transition to being an operational mining and mine investing and development company requires us to strengthen our management team if we are to deliver on our growth strategy, and new mine operations in the battery metals sector in Africa.
“I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Tokkas as COO, Henk and Edward as General Manager Southern and East Africa. Individually and collectively, these additions, with their whole host of experience and expertise, are an asset to Marula, and I have no doubt, will prove valuable as we enter the next phase of our development, and accomplish further significant milestones. I would also like to congratulate Melissa, Faith, Shiko and Eunice on their new positions, and who, based out of the Company’s headquarters in Nairobi, are key members of the team that I believe will contribute greatly to our success.”
Mr Tokkas van Heerden appointed as COO
Mr van Heerden has been appointed as COO and is responsible for overseeing and managing the Company’s mining, development, and ore processing operations throughout Africa. In this role he will set and deliver on the Company’s operating and capital budgets and forecasts to meet the annual corporate objectives and financial targets. He will further ensure the Company’s activities comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements and lead the organisation in meeting the Company’s environmental, health and safety, social corporate responsibility and ESG requirements and policies.
Tokkas is an experienced South African mining executive, based in South Africa and who has been responsible for various new mine developments and constructions, mine commissioning and managing mining operations in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Mozambique in the past 25 years.
Mr van Heerden has been working with the Company since July 2022 in his capacity as a director of Southern Metals Processing, which are the Company’s mineral processing consultants and have been responsible for the processing activities
at the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine and the copper processing plant design for the Kinusi Copper Mine, which is scheduled to commence processing operations in H2 2023.
