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Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon de Ryhove.

Making headlines today:

Gold Fields' spokesperson Julian Gwillim confirmed on Tuesday that a mineworker at Gold Fields' Kloof mine, near Carletonville, died during the Monday night shift.

Details of what led to the fatality are still unavailabl. Gwillim says that the inspectors are currently investigating the incident, which took place at the H Shaft of the mine.

Work in the section of the mine where the accident occurred has been stopped.

More than 130 mineworkers have lost their lives in South Africa's mining industry so far this year.

Zambia's largest cobalt producer, Chambishi Metals, will restart production this week after suppliers in the Democratic Republic of Congo delivered enough cobalt concentrates.

Operations at Chambishi were suspended in December and placed on maintenance due to losses the company suffered owing to the global economic slowdown.

Output was due to restart in October, but Chief Executive Derek Webbstock said that production would only start this week following the arrival of the raw materials.

Webbstock couldn't state the exact quantity of the cobalt concentrates delivered and at what capacity the plant would resume output, but insisted that the raw materials received were sufficient to start and sustain production.

Also making headlines:

Wesizwe Platinum's shares rise on talk of an Implats takeover.
South Africa's Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe tells the Chamber of Mines that there are no ‘immediate' plans for nationalisation.
State-owned minerals body Mintek says that greater Research & Development investment is imperative to meet the mining industry's challenges.
And, falling steel shuts an AngloGold Ashanti shaft for two months.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit miningweekly.com.