Heavyweight Presenters

Heavyweight Presenters

Dr Mark Bristow, of Randgold Resources, and Robert Friedland, of Ivanhoe Mines, may go head to head in a live on-stage gold versus-copper debate at the Investing in African Mining Indaba event, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, from February 5 to 8, Mining Indaba MD Alex Grose disclosed to journalists in Johannesburg last week.

The introduction of the debate concept is one of several changes that are expected to shoot the lights out at what has become the world’s biggest mining investment event.

Bristow, who has built five lucrative gold mines in Africa, after starting from scratch in the mid-1990s and who is looking to building his sixth gold mine on the African continent, has confirmed that he would put the case for investment in gold mining.

Friedland, whose Ivanhoe is currently in joint venture with Zjin Mining and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the development of the KamoaKakula copper project, had still to confirm at the time of going to press that he would put the case for investment in copper mining, Mining Indaba director of content Harry Chapman pointed out to Mining Weekly from London.