EXHIBIT 99.33



                               BANRO CORPORATION
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                                  PRESS RELEASE
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                   SIMON VILLAGE NOMINATED TO JOIN BANRO BOARD


Toronto,  Canada - February 6, 2004 - Banro  Corporation  (the  "Company")  (TSX
Venture - "BNR") is pleased to  announce  that Mr.  Simon  Village has agreed to
join the Company's board of directors as a non-executive director. In accordance
with applicable corporate law requirements,  shareholders of the Company will be
asked to elect Mr. Village as a director at the  forthcoming  special meeting of
shareholders to be held on March 8, 2004.

Mr.  Village is  currently a Managing  Director of the World Gold  Council,  and
joint Managing Director of Gold Bullion  Securities,  the company which recently
forged ahead with a  groundbreaking  initiative in listing the first gold backed
security on any major stock  exchange,  the "London  Stock  Exchange".  Prior to
joining the WGC, Mr.  Village was the Managing  Director of HSBC's South African
securities  office, and also the Head of HSBC's global mining business based out
of London in 1998. He joined HSBC in 1994 having  worked for the  Anglo-American
and De Beers  group  companies  as a mining  engineer  on  their  South  African
operations.  Mr.  Village  qualified  with a Bachelor of  Engineering  (Honours)
Degree from the Camborne  School of Mines,  and brings some 14 years of relevant
gold industry and investment experience to the Company's board.

"Mr.  Villages'  background  will  further the positive  restructuring  of Banro
Corporation,  and compliments the recent appointment of Mr. Peter Cowley and Dr.
John Clarke to the board," commented Arnold Kondrat, interim President and CEO.


For further information, please contact:

Arnold T. Kondrat
President
Phone: (416) 366-2221
Fax:   (416) 366-7722


Banro Corporation is a Canadian-based  company focused on the exploration of its
wholly  owned  Twangiza-Namoya  gold project in the  Democratic  Republic of the
Congo.


The TSX Venture  Exchange  does not accept  responsibility  for the  adequacy or
accuracy of this press release.