EESTech Africa becomes a fully compliant Black Empowerment Enterprise (BEE)

EESTech Africa becomes a fully compliant Black Empowerment Enterprise (BEE)

EESTech Africa has embraced the South African Government regulated Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) program.

The Aveng Group, which owns 51% of EESTech Africa, is a fully compliant level 2 BEE company and significantly contributes to the socio-economic gain and upliftment of its historically disadvantaged partners and beneficiary communities, EESTech Africa has also taken the necessary steps to become fully compliant with BEE requirements.

The BEE principle was designed to stimulate economic growth and to promote commercial opportunities for previously disadvantaged persons and companies, a program that EESTech is pleased to support and welcomes the opportunity to become fully compliant.

It was with this understanding that Aveng and Ken Smith introduced to EESTech Africa the opportunity to appoint Mr Locksley Pege to the Board of Directors of EESTech Africa and to assign him the position of Business Development Director. Locksley, a metallurgist engineer is very experienced and widely known in the mining and energy sectors. EESTech Africa will also endeavour to appoint a woman with the appropriate heritage and qualifications as the company's Secretary / Treasurer.

With the majority shareholder, Aveng Africa being a fully rated level 2 BEE Company owning 51% of EESTech Africa and African Spirit owning 26%, EESTech Australia made the decision to enhance the opportunities of EESTech Africa by transferring a 15% equity position in EESTech Africa to Mr Locksley Pege and then to transfer the remaining 8% equity together with 2% from African Spirit into an EESTech Community Development Trust. Mr Paul Mwape, a senior executive of the Government Department of Mineral Resources, has accepted the position as an independent Trustee and administrator of the EESTech Community Development Trust together with Locksley.

This places EESTech Africa in a very strong position, as it would now be recognised as fully compliant BEE Company. EESTech is committed to promoting sustainable solutions to energy and remediation challenges within the environments and communities in which it operates. As a BEE company, the long-term nature of our projects will allow us to establish lasting, positive relationships with communities by making a sustainable contribution wherever we work.

Locksley Pege

Locksley Pege has significant experience across the full mining and minerals recovery and processing value chain, from the mine establishment / feasibility analysis stage, through to design, commissioning, optimization (including R&D) and operations management at senior level. He is a Metallurgist with 20 years experience in the mineral extraction industry with specialization in fossil fuels, diamonds, gold, and base metals.

Locksley heads a mining consultancy company that provides process engineering design, operations management, techno-economic and strategic advisory services to the mining sector, trade unions and communities within which mining activity occurs. He has worked closely with various government departments (i.e. Mineral Resources, Rural Development & Land Reform, Environmental, and Water Affairs) in various regions to resolve conflicts and unlock some of the mutually beneficial solutions to socio-economic challenges faced by communities in mining areas through exploitation of opportunities presented by the mining business value chain, like conversion of various waste materials into useful and saleable products, encouraging mine operators and communities to symbiotically co-exist.

Locksley has also added tremendous value through his company, industry knowledge and networking to the Multi-party Negotiations for sector restructuring between government, trade unions and mining companies. Locksley is a member of various local and international minerals and technology professional associations: he is also a co-inventor on a number of South African mining patents.

Locksley joins EESTech Africa as the Business Development Director and is a 15% shareholder of the company. EESTech welcomes Locksley to the EESTech Africa team.

Mr. Paul Mwape

Paul Mwape is currently Head of Special Studies at the South Africa Government Department of Mineral Resources, where he is closely engaged with communities and the minerals sector. The unit, Special Studies, through research provides pertinent and reliable economic information in support of decision and policy-making in the mining and minerals sector.

Paul has over 30 years' experience in the minerals industry, having worked in different sections of the industry where he has demonstrated an exceptional operational track record, he has successfully engaged and worked with governments and institutions, Paul contributed immensely to the African Mining Vision strategy through the African Mining Partnership.

Paul has a Master of Science (M.Sc.) Degree in Mineral Resources Engineering and Management from the University of Nottingham, a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours (B.Sc. Hon.) in Minerals Estate Management from Hallam University, U.K. His career in mining has spanned mining supervision, management and leadership experience. His broad experience in the minerals sector includes strategy and business development, customer relations, finance, mergers and acquisitions, government bilateral and multilateral agreements.

EESTech Africa thanks Paul for his involvement and support of the EESTech Community Development Trust.