ESG

Violence at Rio Tinto's Richards Bay Minerals 'out of hand'

Minister says South Africa is safe to invest in

 Rio Tinto’s Richards Bay Minerals operations in South Africa

Rio Tinto’s Richards Bay Minerals operations in South Africa

Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe, who has just achieved his MBA, said it was "safe to invest in South Africa" after conveying his condolences to RBM executives on Friday following Nico Swart's shooting death

Mantashe said senior police had also been at the meeting because a crime had been committed.

"There may be problems, however, if we work together, we can resolve our problems," he tweeted.

However the same day, community members set mining equipment on fire as part of "a deadly and ongoing dispute that included a local traditional leadership squabble and another in which locals are demanding to be employed at the mine," trade union UASA said.

It called on the government and police to help restore order to prevent Rio from following through on a threat to close down the operation.

"After the murder of senior RBM manager Nico Swart last month and the burning of bulldozers and other heavy equipment yesterday, the company may well go through with it, leaving 5,000 workers out of a job," UASA said on the weekend.

"The violence and destruction at RBM is out of hand and cannot be allowed to continue.

"The mine and its workers deserve nothing less than immediate action to secure operations, jobs and safety."

The National Union of Mineworkers in KZN had also expressed concerns about the state of the mining sector in the province in May, citing challenges including high unemployment, endless road blockages, ambiguous social and labour plans and non-compliance and concerns around community relocations and compensation.

Rio had curtailed RBM operations in December 2019 due to an escalation in violence and an employee being shot and seriously injured.

It has also indefinitely suspended the US$463 million Zulti South development, approved earlier in 2019 to extend RBM's minelife, pending the "normalisation of operations".

The London-based mining major owns 74% of RBM, with 24% owned by Blue Horizon Investments and 2% by an employee trust.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Global Leadership Report 2024: Net Zero

Gain insights into decarbonisation trends and strategies from interviews with 20+ top mining executives and experts plus an industrywide survey.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Project Pipeline Handbook 2024

View our 50 top mining projects, handpicked using a unique, objective selection process from a database of 450+ global assets.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Investor Sentiment Report 2024

Survey revealing the plans, priorities, and preferences of 120+ mining investors and their expectations for the sector in 2024.