This podcast is brought to you by Speedspace

Thursday, Sep 3, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Jonathan Faurie.

Making headlines today:

Malaysian and Middle Eastern-backed Aurora Empowerment Systems has clinched the deal for Pamodzi Gold Orkney when the mine's main secured creditor, South Africa's State-owned Industrial Development Corporation, gave its preferred bid the green light.

Aurora's acquisition and purchase of the provisionally liquidated Pamodzi Gold Orkney has opened the way for the company to begin remining the North West gold operation next week.

Aurora has given a no-job-loss commitment and has reportedly put the first batch of 800 employees through their medicals, prior to a resumption of gold-mining.

Liquidator Enver Motala said that Aurora's acquisition of the Orkney gold mine of the stricken Pamodzi Gold group would be immediate, as the company had chosen the Section 311 offer-of-compromise route, which would mean more for creditors and no delay in the transferring of mining rights.

The world's second-largest platinum producer Impala Platinum (Implats) announced yesterday that some branches of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had accepted its latest wage offer and had returned to work.

This followed an ongoing strike by about 20 000 employees at its flagship Rustenburg operations, which was said to be losing about 3 000 oz/d of platinum production, and a partial strike at its Marula operations.

The Rustenburg industrial action started on August 24, followed by the Marula strike action two days later.

Implats spokesperson Bob Gilmour said that workers at its Rustenburg minerals processing operation, which employed between 1 500 and 2 000 workers, had returned to work.

Also making headlines:

African Rainbow Minerals is aiming for 100 000-t/y copper production in 5 years.

Kiwara Resources says its Zambia copper resource has increased by 5%

Vale Inco miners prepare for long strike.

And, South Africa appoints independent service provider to oversee Mining Charter review.

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