MC Mining says MD and CEO Christine He will step down this week after overseeing the company’s transition to majority Chinese ownership and the development of the Makhado coal project in Limpopo towards production.Her resignation takes effect on July 29, after which she will remain on the board as a nonexecutive director, the company said on Tuesday.Chair Jianheng Albert Deng has been appointed interim CEO and MD with effect from July 29 while the board searches for a permanent successor. The company said Deng will not receive additional remuneration during the interim period.The leadership change follows the completion of an investment by Chinese state-owned investment group Kinetic Development Group (KDG), which became MC Mining’s 51% controlling shareholder in April this year.He was appointed interim CEO in July 2024 before taking up the role permanently in October 2025. During her tenure she oversaw KDG’s investment in the company, which provided funding to advance the development of the Makhado project.Open-pit mining at Makhado began in late 2025, while work to prepare the processing plant for commercial operations is under way. Once operational, the project is designed to process 4-million tonnes of coal a year to produce hard coking coal, a raw material used in steelmaking. Deng thanked He for leading the company through what he described as “one of the most significant periods in its history, including securing the investment by KDG, advancing Makhado towards production and repositioning MC Mining as an operating coal producer.”“The board has asked me to take on the role of interim CEO and MD to ensure continuity while we decide on the arrangements for a permanent solution for the CEO role,” Deng said.He said it was the right time to hand over executive leadership now that KDG’s investment had been completed and Makhado was nearing production. She said she remained committed to supporting the company as a non-executive director and longstanding shareholder.The board said there were no matters relating to He’s resignation that required shareholder attention.MC Mining, formerly known as Coal of Africa, specialises in coking and thermal coal production. It is listed on the JSE, Australian Securities Exchange and the AIM of the London Stock Exchange.Besides Makhado, MC Mining’s projects include the Uitkomst Colliery, a producer of thermal and metallurgical coal in KwaZulu-Natal; Vele Colliery, which produces semisoft and thermal coal in Musina, Limpopo; and the Greater Soutpansberg projects, which produce coking and thermal coal in Limpopo, near Makhado.