Angolan Benedito Paulo Manuel was appointed to the position of managing director of mining company Sociedade Mineira da Catoca replacing Russian Serge Amelin, during the General Meeting held on Thursday in Luanda, Angolan news agency Angop reported.

Benedito Paulo Manuel, 51, is a senior official at Catoca, having held positions as head of training, the head of the programming office and deputy managing director for the social area, respectively.

With master’s degrees in metal structures and management from universities in the Ukraine and Spain, respectively, the new managing director is the second Angolan citizen and the fourth person to occupy this position in the fourth largest diamond company in the world.

The Catoca General Meeting, which was led by the chairman of the Endiama Board of Directors, Ganga Júnior, assessed and approved the company’s report and accounts for the 2017/2018 financial year and analysed the kimberlites of the Luaxe, Tchiuzo and Cat-E 42 concessions.

SMC’s shareholders are state-owned diamond company Endiama and Russian group Alrosa, with equal holdings of 41%, with the remaining 18% held by LL International Holding B.V.

Headquartered in the municipality of Saurimo, Lunda Sul province, the company is the fourth largest producer of diamonds in the world and the Angolan leader with a share of 86.3% in volume and 60.3% in monetary value. (macauhub)