Govt destroys R13.2m in noncompliant products

In a bid to curb illegal and harmful substandard products imported into the country, government on Friday destroyed products worth R13.2-million that were found to compromise the safety of... 

Seifsa’s new yearly award of excellence to encourage growth, excellence in metals, engineering sectors

The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) announced on Thursday that it would launch the Seifsa Awards for Excellence in 2015. 

Industrial processes’ expensive-to-capture CO2 can tackle AMD, says Royal HaskoningDHV

Unwanted carbon dioxide (CO2) produced in industrial processes, which is often too expensive to capture, can effectively be used in the mining industry to treat the problem of acid mine drainage... 

Amendment places additional reporting obligations on employers

Changes to the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) have been made, which the mining industry must heed to ensure it is compliant going forward, says law firm Webber Wentzel partner Kate Collier. 

Legislative uncertainty impacting on mining, worrying investors

Regulatory and legislative uncertainty – with specific reference to gaps created by the amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) and the National Environmental... 

Future sustainability hinges on step change in mining business model

A complete step change in the current mining business model in South Africa is required for the industry to survive in future, believes global consulting firm Deloitte Africa energy and resources... 

Cabinet makes major changes to State-owned company boards

Cabinet on Thursday announced sweeping changes to the composition of the nonexecutive boards of State-owned power utility Eskom and transport utility Transnet. 

M&R Infrastructure awarded North West road infrastructure upgrade contract

Murray & Roberts (M&R) Infrastructure has been awarded a contract by the North West provincial government’s Department of Public Works and Roads to upgrade 58.4 km of gravel roads in the Ganyesa... 

Future S African mining technology investment focused on safety issues

The top two areas for future technology investment in the mining sector are fatigue management and collision avoidance/proximity-detection tools, tackling daily safety issues faced by operators,... 

E Cape rural development financier unveils three-year R100m agroprocessing initiative

Rural development financier the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA) CEO Thozamile Gwanya on Tuesday launched a three-year R100-million agroprocessing programme aimed at benefiting 996... 

Nersa approves Burgan’s licence for WC facility, Chevron still opposed

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved Burgan Cape Terminals’ licence for the development and construction of an independently owned and operated liquid fuel-storage and... 

Public comment deadline extended on proposed STB subsidy qualifying criteria

To ensure that set-top-box (STB) subsidies are adequately distributed to qualifying needy persons who own televisions, the Universal Services and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) on Tuesday... 

Beacon Hill aims to reduce restructuring impact on shareholders, speed up Minas Moatize development

Aim-listed Beacon Hill Resources is proposing an up to €5-million open offer focused on reducing the dilutive impact of its restructuring on existing shareholders and to rapidly develop its Minas... 

Load shedding costing metals and engineering sector R6bn – Seifsa

Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has urged government and State-owned power utility Eskom to bring an end to the current bout of load shedding, which, in the... 

Implats expects more than 20% lower HEPS, EPS for H2

Platinum miner Impala Platinum (Implats) expects more than 20% lower headline earnings per share (HEPS) and basic earinings per share (EPS) for the six months ended December 31 compared with the... 

Lonmin Furnace One shutdown not expected to affect production

Platinum-mining company Lonmin expects the repair of its Number One furnace to take about three months, following its shutdown without incident after a leak of molten furnace matte was detected. 

Zambia tax reform proposals could spell disaster for mines

Zambia’s 2015 budget, which contains proposals for far-reaching reforms to the mining fiscal tax regime, will have significant implications for the mining industry, leaving several mines cash flow... 

AEL Mining Services appoints new global sourcing manager

As part of its growth expansion strategy, explosives manufacturer AEL Mining Services announced the appointment of Francois van Niekerk to manage its global sourcing department. 

Chamber, Parliament pledge support for govt stamp-out of illegal mining by February

While it is unclear whether illegal mining in and around South African mines is on the increase or decrease, Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) Deputy Minister Godfrey Oliphant was quoted in... 

Zambia’s 2015 budget threatens viability of mines in the country

Zambia’s 2015 budget, which contained proposals for far-reaching reforms to the mining fiscal tax regime, would have significant implications for the mining industry, leaving several mines cash... 

Former Anglo employee Deshnee Naidoo appointed Gamsberg-Skorpion CEO

Vedanta Resources’ Zinc International announced the appointment of former Anglo American Thermal Coal CFO Deshnee Naidoo as CEO designate at its Gamsberg–Skorpion integrated project stakeholder... 

Vedanta approves R8.7bn Gamsberg-Skorpion integrated zinc project

LSE-listed diversified miner Vedanta Resources, which announced the approval of the three-year R8.7-billion Gamsberg–Skorpion integrated zinc project development last week, aims to make the... 

Futurist sees Africa’s rise, calls for faster integration

Only 13% to 15% of Africa’s trade takes place within the continent – compared with 63% in Europe and 40% in North America – leaving huge scope for better economic integration among African... 

Worker unrest, cost pressures and demand weakness hit mining companies in 2014 financial year

The 2014 financial year was marred by labour unrest, compounded by local cost pressures and international demand weakness which resulted in shrinking margins and wide ranging impairment provisions... 

Modular Mining Systems honours Palabora Copper for using its solutions for 30 years

Mine management solutions provider Modular Mining Systems last month presented a long-term client service award to refined copper producer Palabora Copper (PC), a subsidiary of Palabora Mining... 

Technology initially developed for oil and gas industry enables visualisation of subsurface of entire mining area

Using only traditional exploration techniques, such as drilling boreholes, does not enable an accurate perspective of the structural complexity of the earth’s subsurface at depth. However, using... 

Wits lecturer aiming to establish seismic reflection laboratory

The mining industry has taken heed of the need to develop and nurture a constant stream of quality graduates that can develop solutions in problem areas and has as a result contributed... 

Vedanta’s Zinc International appoints CEO designate

Vedanta Resources’ Zinc International subsidiary has appointed former Anglo American Thermal Coal CFO Deshnee Naidoo as CEO designate. 

Vedanta sees Southern Africa as key global zinc supplier

LSE-listed diversified miner Vedanta Resources, which last week announced the approval of the three-year R8.7-billion Gamsberg–Skorpion integrated project development, aims to make the Southern... 

BME conference contributes to explosives education, information sharing

Mining explosives company BME hosted its twenty-second yearly Drilling and Blasting Conference at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s International Conference Centre, in Pretoria,... 

Metso’s huge MP2500 cone crusher to start operating at Zambia mine in the new year

Diversified engineering group Metso's first MP2500 cone crusher will be operational at base metals miner First Quantum Minerals' (FQM) Sentinel mine, in Zambia, early next year. 

Biogas power generation has huge potential for postmining land use

Global climate change and the need for sustainable land rehabilitation in the mining industry are prompting mining companies to reassess their approach to postmining land use to ensure that they... 

Biogas power generation has huge potential for postmining land use

Global climate change and the need for sustainable land rehabilitation in the mining industry are prompting mining companies to reassess their approach to postmining land use to ensure that they... 

Royal Bafokeng Holdings unit’s CEO steps down

Jaap Nel has stepped down as CEO and as a member of the board of directors of mining solutions company Fraser Alexander, which is a subsidiary of Royal Bafokeng Holdings (RBH), on October 13. 

Palabora Copper awarded Level 4 BBBEE status

Refined copper producer Palabora Copper (PC), a subsidiary of Palabora Mining Company (PMC), achieved a Level 4 broad-based black economic-empowerment (BBBEE) status earlier this month following an... 

Mine productivity down 7% last year as greater depths, tricky orebodies and labour unrest take toll

As the latest statistics from Productivity SA show that labour productivity in the mining sector fell almost 7% last year, mine management urgently needs a long-term vision for an operating... 

Wits CMMS to host rock cutting technology course

The University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits’) Centre for Mechanised Mining Systems (CMMS) will host a rock cutting technology course focused on hard rock boring and coal mining applications next... 

South African CEOs being called upon to increase productivity, profits amid lack of funds, complex geology and labour unrest

The role of the South African mining industry CEO is changing as they are being tasked on an ongoing basis with the high-pressure job of maintaining and creating value in an industry plagued with... 

South Africa’s AARD aiming to export to more countries

Despite achieving export highs in North America, Europe, Zambia, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Botswana, South Africa-based 60% black-controlled AARD Mining Equipment... 

SA group delivering components of 1 100 t headgear to Zambian mine

Heavy engineering group of companies Steel Services & Allied Industries (SS&AI) is delivering the components to site for a 1 100 t steel headgear manufacturing project, which is expected to be...