SOUTH Africa’s Metorex group has been granted mining rights in Burkina Faso’s Perkoa region, where one of the world’s biggest zinc reserves is located, a government statement said Friday. Minister of Mines Kader Cisse said the group would be allowed mining rights for 15 years, with annual production pegged at 120_000 tons. The project entails an investment of $48,3-million. Perkoa is located 120km west of the Burkina capital Ouagadougou. Cisse said the new venture would create 300 jobs and lead to the indirect employment of about 1_000 others. – AFP