Uranium is the dirty underbelly of nuclear – scientist

Antinuclear sentiment tends to focus on nuclear waste or operational risks, but more focus should be on the “dirty underbelly” of uranium mining, according to a science adviser. “Whenever people... 

Zim platinum output up 43% in first quarter

Zimbabwean platinum miners have ignored policy uncertainties in the country and continued to ramp up production, according to the central bank. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ's) report for the... 

Gupta-owned Oakbay responds to claims it's buying a bank

Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments on Thursday slammed media reports about an approach to buy UBank as "speculation", with "several significant untruths and misunderstandings". Oakbay Investments CEO... 

Private sector breathes life into Operation Phakisa

An initiative that saw three South African companies work together to successfully deliver two world-class marine vessels has been hailed as exemplary by the Department of Trade and Industry’s... 

Gupta-owned company shares dive 91% as websites downed by hackers

Gupta-owned Oakbay Resources and Energy’s share price plummeted by over 90% on the JSE on Wednesday, the same day that hackers attacked the company’s websites and shut them down. The JSE-listed... 

Low mining production stats add to South African economic woes

Mining production decreased by 6.9% year-on-year (y/y) in April 2016, Statistics SA announced on Thursday. The largest negative contribution was iron ore, of which production was down -23.4%.... 

South Africa makes final junk hurdle as Fitch affirms credit grade

Ratings agency Fitch on Wednesday affirmed South Africa's investment grade credit, and surprisingly kept its outlook stable, but it warned that political and growth concerns should be addressed.... 

Ministers stall on banks intervention over Gupta blacklisting

The ministers tasked with intervening in the ongoing stand-off between South Africa’s big four banks and the Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments have missed their deadline. Minister in the Presidency... 

DA urges IDC to give Guptas 'a wide berth'

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) should “follow the lead of the commercial banks and give the president’s pals (the Guptas) a wide berth in future”, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on... 

Five bodies found in Welkom mine

The decomposing bodies of five illegal miners, known as zama-zamas, were found underground in Harmony Gold's Eland shaft in Welkom, Free State police said on Tuesday. The bodies were found on... 

Lily Mine protesters demand answers over unpaid salaries

Failure to pay workers at Mpumalanga's collapsed Lily Mine resulted in a massive protest involving local residents and more than 700 disgruntled miners on Thursday morning. Thursday marked exactly... 

Illegal mining suspects arrested in Springs after shoot-out

Eight suspected illegal miners were arrested in Springs following a shoot-out with police, the Ekurhuleni metro police department said on Monday. Lt-Col Wilfred Kgasago said that police raided... 

SA growth likely worst in sub-Saharan Africa – report

South Africa is likely to be the worst performer in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) with a projected gross domestic product (GDP) expansion of 0.7% this year. This is according to the latest outlook for... 

Lynne Brown: SOEs must stay in government hands

Government needs to retain its ownership of state-owned companies to ensure economic growth and create employment for generations to come, said Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown. In her... 

Nersa seeks to curb Eskom, coal mines

The National Energy Regulator (Nersa) wants to determine a coal benchmark cost - an average rand/tonne cost of coal - as part of its final decision on Eskom's multi-year price determination (MYPD)... 

Announcement on Farlam Inquiry soon – Nhleko

An announcement on steps government will take to implement the Farlam Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations would be made soon, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said on Thursday. His statement... 

Alexkor still eyes coal despite operating loss

State-owned diamond mining company Alexkor has not given up on plans to venture into coal mining. In 2013, the entity’s then CEO Percy Khoza said it planned to form partnerships with emerging black... 

Guptas' staff appeal to banks to save their Oakbay jobs

About 7 500 employees at Oakbay Investments will lose their jobs at the end of May if the Gupta-owned company’s bank accounts remain closed, staff at the company wrote in an open letter to banks on... 

Trapped KZN miners presumed dead, rescue called off

The brief search for illegal miners trapped underground in a disused illegal mine in Pongola has been abandoned, squashing any hopes that they might still be alive. A rock fall at the Klipwal... 

Court stops mining at historical site in Northern Cape

The Northern Cape High Court has granted a final order stopping mining at Canteen Kopje, a historical and archaeological key point outside Barkly West. The McGregor Museum in Kimberley sought an... 

Five illegal miners die in blasting accident at KZN mine

Five people have died in a blast during illegal mining activities at the Klipwal Mine in KwaZulu-Natal, the mining company announced on Sunday. "Despite extensive search and rescue operations… five... 

Patrice Motsepe launches new investment firm

Billionaire Patrice Motsepe, along with two former Sanlam veterans, have officially launched a new money management firm called African Rainbow Capital (ARC). Motsepe, who is chairperson of ARC,... 

Zim probes Rio Tinto’s Murowa share disposal

Zimbabwe is probing Rio Tinto’s disposal of its stake in two mines in Zimbabwe, charging that disposed shares were held offshore, hence the justification to investigate them and determine if due... 

Urgent probe for Zimplats after Panama Papers leak

Impala Platinum and government officials in Zimbabwe will probe the alleged involvement of the company's Zimplats unit after leaked papers showed it used an offshore company to pay salaries of... 

Panama Papers: Khulubuse Zuma responds

Controversial tycoon Khulubuse Zuma has spoken out on his link to the so-called Panama Papers – a tranche of millions of leaked financial documents detailing a trove of billions sheltered in tax... 

Panama Papers: BHP Billiton unaware of ‘high risk’ review

BHP Billiton said it was not aware that Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca had conducted an internal assessment after the leaked Panama Papers said the firm reviewed two of its British Virgin... 

AMCU vows to grind Sibanye to a halt over wages

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) wants to bring Sibanye Gold to a standstill on Wednesday to protest the wage settlement concluded with other unions in October 2015.... 

We have confidence in Zuma - ANC

The ANC national executive committee on Sunday reaffirmed that it had confidence in President Jacob Zuma, despite allegations that the politically connected Gupta family were influencing Cabinet... 

Police investigate plot to 'assassinate' NUM leader

Police have not yet been able to establish whether two men arrested in possession of dangerous weapons during a strike at Barberton Mines in Mpumalanga were part of a plot to assassinate a top... 

Molefe backtracks on load-shedding risk

Eskom CEO Brian Molefe on Wednesday retracted his previous statement that the lower tariff hike granted by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) would lead to load shedding this... 

Ground too unstable to carry out Lily Mine recovery

Unstable ground and rock falls at the Lily Gold Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga are making it impossible for recovery teams to go down and retrieve the container where three workers are trapped. Mine... 

Brown: Eskom debt could climb to R350bn within 5yrs

Eskom had a debt of R333-billion at the end of last year, according to a written parliamentary reply by Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown. The power utility's approved borrowing programmes in... 

At least 3 dead in Zimbabwe diamond field accident – State broadcaster

Police divers in Zimbabwe's best-known diamond fields are searching for more victims of an accident that left at least three illegal panners dead on Wednesday, the state Zimbabwe Broadcasting... 

We will get Lily Mine workers out, alive or not – Minister Zwane

Everything possible is being done to rescue the three people still trapped in the Lily Mine in Mpumalanga, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Wednesday. ''We are interested in a... 

Zim govt faces lawsuit from diamond miners

Diamond mining companies ordered by President Robert Mugabe's government to stop gem mining operations in Eastern Zimbabwe are weighing their options, while some have started engagements for... 

Tegeta-Optimum merger approved with condition

The Competition Tribunal on Monday approved the controversial merger between the Tegeta Exploration and Resources, whose shareholders include President Jacob Zuma’s son and the Gupta family, and... 

Molefe on Eskom coal deals probe: We have nothing to hide

Eskom CEO Brian Molefe said while he was surprised with Treasury’s investigation of its coal supply contracts, the power utility will cooperate, he said on Monday. “The alleged mooted investigation... 

Lily Mine rescue operation to resume in three weeks

It may take up to three weeks for rescue operations to resume again at the Lily Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga where three employees are still trapped underground, Mineral Resources Minister... 

Experts to determine if Lily Mine rescue efforts to continue

Rescue efforts for the three missing miners at Lily Mine near Barberton may continue at midday, AMCU leader Joseph Mathunjwa told News24 on Monday. Mathunjwa said they would meet with geological... 

Rock-shifting technology brings new hope to Lily Mine rescue efforts

New technology is being used to loosen a huge rock weighing between 20 t and 30 t that is hampering the rescue operation of three miners in Mpumalanga. Today marks a week since the three – Pretty...