Posted to the web on: 08 April 2005
NUM seeks help for shut mines
John Fraser
Resources Editor
HARMONY CE Bernard Swanepoel said yesterday he had been asked by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to consider taking over the two DRDGOLD mines near Klerksdorp that were provisionally liquidated last month.
Harmony has a track record in turning underproductive assets around, and the union clearly hopes to restore some of the 6500 jobs that were lost when the mines were closed .
The liquidation of the North West mines of Hartebeesfontein and Buffelsfontein followed sustained losses due to the strong rand, damage to shafts from earthquakes and a warning by DRDGOLD’s auditors that the company’s future as a going concern was at risk.
“We were asked by the NUM to look at the assets,” Swanepoel said.
He said Harmony would be in a position to consider taking on the mines only if they were “assets unencumbered by all sorts of liabilities”.
Harmony’s involvement would “depend on what the liquidators are selling. The liquidators must make clear where the pumping and past liabilities lie.” [Blockierte Grafik: http://download.smiliemania.de/smilies132/00000285.gif]
He said environmental commitments and pumping liabilities would be two key areas of concern. [Blockierte Grafik: http://download.smiliemania.de/smilies132/00000285.gif]
Swanepoel said that a Harmony official had been asked to contact the liquidator to establish “whether there is value in the assets — whether the liquidation process will strip it of historical liabilities, such as expectations about employment levels and environmental liabilities”.
http://www.businessday.co.za/a…stories.aspx?ID=BD4A34524