Mkango Announces Shareholder Approval for Talaxis Transaction

LONDON and CALGARY, Alberta, Jan. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mkango Resources Ltd. (AIM:MKA) (TSX-V:MKA) (the "Company" or "Mkango") is pleased announce that shareholders have approved the entering into and completion of the previously announced investment transaction with Talaxis Limited (“Talaxis”) on a disinterested basis (after excluding any votes represented by shares held by Talaxis) at its annual and special meeting of shareholders held in Toronto today (the “Meeting”). 

Subject to final TSX Venture Exchange approval, it is anticipated that investments of £5 million (comprising £2 million paid out of escrow and £3 million from Talaxis) will be received by Mkango’s subsidiary, Lancaster Exploration Limited, and £1 million will be received by Mkango’s new subsidiary, Maginito Limited, on or around January 24, 2018.

All other business put forth at the Meeting was also approved by shareholders of the Company, including:

• Re-election of Derek Linfield, William Dawes, Alexander Lemon, David Berg, Eugene Chen and Adrian Reynolds as Directors of the Company;
  
  
• Re-appointment of Meyers Norris Penny LLP as auditors of the Company; and
  
  
• Approval of the Company’s stock option plan in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.

About Mkango Resources Limited

Mkango's primary business is the exploration for rare earth elements and associated minerals in the Republic of Malawi, a country whose hospitable people have earned it a reputation as “the warm heart of Africa”. The Company holds three exclusive prospecting licenses in Malawi, the Phalombe licence, the Thambani licence and the Chimimbe Hill licence.

The main exploration target in the Phalombe licence is the Songwe Hill rare earths’ deposit, which features carbonatite hosted rare earth mineralisation and was subject to previous exploration in the late 1980s. Mkango completed an updated Pre-feasibility Study for the project in November 2015.

In November 2017, Mkango entered into an agreement with Talaxis, a wholly owned subsidiary of Noble Group Limited, whereby, subject to regulatory approval, Talaxis will fully fund a feasibility study for Songwe by investing £12 million (C$20 million) for a 49% interest in the project. Talaxis will also have the option to acquire a further 26% interest in the project by arranging funding for project development.

In addition, by investing a further £2 million (C$3.3 million), Talaxis will acquire a 49% interest in Maginito Limited, a new subsidiary of Mkango focused on neodymium alloy powders, magnet and other technologies. This includes the collaboration with Metalysis Ltd announced in September 2017, which is focused on advanced alloys using neodymium or praseodymium with other elements for permanent magnet manufacturing. Permanent magnets are critical materials for most electric vehicles, direct drive wind turbines and many other high growth applications. Neodymium is a key rare earth component at Songwe. Talaxis and Mkango have also agreed to cooperate as preferred partners on rare earths projects worldwide and on other projects in Malawi.

The main exploration targets of Mkango’s remaining two licences are, in the Thambani licence, uranium, niobium, tantalum and zircon and, in the Chimimbe Hill licence, nickel and cobalt.
For more information, please visit www.mkango.ca.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of that term under applicable securities laws) with respect to Mkango, its business and the Project. Generally, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “is expected”, “scheduled”, “estimates” “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results “can”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will”, occur or be achieved, or the negative connotations thereof. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the global market for products using the rare earth metals the Company is exploring for, completion of the feasibility study and of the transactions contemplated in the Agreement, as well as the use of proceeds from the investments into the Company by Talaxis and the timing of such expenditures. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, market demand for the metals and associated downstream products for which Mkango is exploring, researching and developing, the positive results of a feasibility study on the Project, delays in obtaining financing or governmental or stock exchange approvals. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.