Photo by: Duane Daws
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Underground operations have resumed at Northam Platinum’s Zondereinde mine.
This followed the arrest by the South African Police Service (SAPS) of a number of suspects in the killings of two Zondereinde employees.
Northam on June 6 halted underground operations at the mine, after one employee had been killed in the nearby Northam town on June 5, which resulted in incidents of violence spreading to the mine.
A second employee was killed near the mine on June 6.
African News Agency on Tuesday reported that the SAPS had arrested four suspects believed to be involved in the deaths.
Northam last week said it was losing about R13-million a day in production as a result of the work stoppage.
Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, who visited the mine twice during the past two weeks, on Wednesday welcomed the resumption of operations at the mine.
"We are encouraged that production has resumed . . . and hope that management and employees will continue to keep the doors of communication open," he said.