GABORONE, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Botswana has found manganese deposits in its southwestern villages of Lobatse, Ramotswa and Kanye, Botswana's minister of Minerals and Energy announced Thursday.
The southern African country will be adding another mineral to its long list of mineral deposits, said Lefoko Moagi. Currently, Botswana is known globally for the extraction of diamonds, gold, copper and nickel.
Exploration of manganese in Botswana started in 2018, Moagi said. He said that currently, experts are confirming that the mineral found is the one being used in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles.
"They are conducting preliminary economic assessment aimed at understanding the magnitude and value of the underground mineral," he said.
The mining of manganese is likely to start anytime and is estimated to create over 1,000 job opportunities, Moagi added.
Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy uses, particularly in stainless steels. It improves strength as well as wear resistance. ■
