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FORMER mines minister technical advisor Ralph Muyamba has registered a mining company in Botswana despite facing a N$50 million corruption investigation back home in Namibia.

Muyamba, the former technical advisor to the minister of mines and energy, Tom Alweendo, resigned earlier this month after he was implicated in a lithium deal that benefited his family.

He confirmed yesterday that he has teamed up with his brother Joseph to create Ukwi Minerals Exploration and Mining Pty Ltd registered in Botswana. The company was registered on 7 November.

Muyamba is the majority shareholder in the company with 50%, while the rest of the shares are divided between his brother Joseph (30%) and Botswana-based lawyer Boyce Kgomotso (20%).

Muyamba said they are not relocating and will operate from Namibia.

“The Botswana agenda is not to relocate. Mineral exploration is a global activity. It can be done where you think you can discover the minerals you are looking for. I understand the geology of Botswana very well so I intend to enter that market,” he said.

He did not reveal the types of minerals they would explore, saying they will do so once the licence applications are accepted and loaded onto the system.

“Once that process is done then it becomes public information and it will be available on the Botswana online mining portal. That process I think will be complete next week,” he said.

Muyamba said he plans to establish a multi-national conglomerate that he intends to list on the Namibian Stock Exchange.

“The next countries I’m working on are Malawi and Mozambique,” he added.

Joseph confirmed the venture into Botswana. “We are looking at exploring different commodities. We are busy with the application,” he said.

Joseph also has exploration licences in the Khomas region.

The Namibian last month reported that Muyamba resigned from the ministry to set up two companies – one for geological consulting and one for mining.

The companies will trade under the names Erongo Geoscience Pty and Dolomite Mining Pty.

Muyamba has been caught up in a storm of controversy involving a N$50 million lithium mining exploration licence paid to his cousin Peter Shifwaku’s company, Orange River Mining, by Chinese mining company Xinfeng Investments.