ZAThe article discusses the impending closure of Transalloys, South Africa's last manganese smelter, due to financial and operational challenges. Despite having significant manganese resources, the country has failed to support the industry adequately. During the Mining Indaba in February, the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Minister dismissed manganese as a priority compared to coal. By mid-July, Transalloys ceased operations, marking a major setback for industrial policy. The CEO, Konstantin Sadovnik, highlighted the lack of government and Eskom support, noting that while a financial lifeline was provided to the ferrochrome sector through an emergency tariff agreement, manganese producers were excluded. This decision threatens to eliminate thousands of jobs and end South Africa's manganese beneficiation capacity, with irreversible consequences if no intervention occurs by 31 July.
Bias read (Left): The article frames the failure to support manganese as a systemic issue rooted in government neglect and prioritization of other sectors like coal and ferrochrome. It criticizes the minister's dismissal of manganese and highlights the exclusion of manganese producers from essential support measures,
