Hebei fights $12m Namibia mine ruling

A Chinese construction company is challenging a US$11.9 million arbitration award in Namibia's High Court after failing to complete a deal to buy a tantalum and lithium mine from London-listed Kazera Global.

Hebei Construction CC has appealed against the award, which an arbitration tribunal issued in May 2025 after finding the company had breached a 2022 sale agreement. Judgment is pending.

The dispute centres on Kazera's Tantalite Valley Mine in the //Karas region, held through its subsidiary African Tantalum, known as Aftan. The mine hosts both tantalum and lithium mineralisation and is considered a key asset in Namibia's critical minerals sector.

Under the December 2022 agreement, Kazera agreed to sell its full 100% stake in Aftan to Hebei for about US$13 million, plus a 2.5% life-of-mine royalty debenture on lithium and tantalum sales. Hebei paid roughly US$4.1 million before defaulting on the balance. Kazera initiated arbitration proceedings in September 2024.

The tribunal ruled in Kazera's favour, ordering Hebei to pay the outstanding US$11.9 million plus interest and legal costs. Hebei has since escalated the matter through Namibia's courts.

Despite the legal uncertainty, Aftan said engagement with potential investors has continued. Multiple third parties are assessing development and commercialisation opportunities for the project, including technical reviews and site assessments.

Background

Kazera built its position in Aftan from 2014, when it acquired a 75% stake for £0.66 million, gaining exposure to the Tantalite Valley Mine in south-eastern Namibia. The following year, it secured full ownership of the underlying mine asset. In 2020, Kazera acquired the remaining 25% stake in Aftan for £0.22 million, giving it complete ownership of both the subsidiary and the Tantalite Valley operation.

The mine is a pegmatite-hosted tantalum and lithium project comprising several deposits, including White City, Homestead, and Purple Haze. Kazera has reported a Phase 1 JORC-compliant resource of about 622,200 tonnes of combined lithium and tantalite mineralisation. The White City deposit carries an average grade of roughly 105 parts per million Ta₂O₅. The project previously produced tantalum concentrate using gravity and magnetic separation, with initial commercial exports prepared in 2022. Lithium potential remains under evaluation.