(Recasts with Implats executive in court)
By Tanisha Heiberg
JOHANNESBURG, April 17 (Reuters) - Impala Platinum's
(Implats) chief executive of its Rustenburg operations
appeared in court on Friday on charges of allegedly contravening
South Africa's lockdown rules by calling non-essential workers
back to work, the company spokesman said.
The platinum miner said it had been in consultations,
through the Minerals Council, with the mines ministry to bring
some non-essential workers gradually back to work under agreed
precautionary measures to ensure the integrity of its mines was
not compromised.
But the returning employees were stopped by police en route
to the operations and a case was laid against Mark Munroe, who
appeared in the Bafokeng Magistrate’s Court on Friday, spokesman
Johan Theron said.
"There is clearly a difference in interpretation in the
regulation with the police on one side and the DMRE (Department
of Mineral Resources and Energy) and the mining industry on the
other side," Theron told Reuters.
Munroe posted bail and is expected to appear in court at a
future date, Theron said.
The North West provincial police spokesman could not
immediately be reached for comment.
The DMRE had not yet responded to a request for comment.
South Africa imposed a nationwide lockdown that started on
March 27 and has been extended until the end of April. It had
ordered most underground mines and furnaces to be put on care
and maintenance, apart from coal mines supplying state power
utility Eskom.
However the government on Thursday relaxed those regulations
to allow mines to operate at up to 50% capacity for the
remainder of the lockdown, highlighting concerns over potential
instability if some deep-level mines were closed for an extended
period.
Implats said in a statement earlier on Friday that it would
gradually return to work whilst taking precautionary measures to
protect employees.
London-listed Jubilee Metals also said on Friday its
Inyoni surface platinum group metals (PGM) and chrome operation
had recommenced production while its Windsor joint venture
planned to restart shortly.
South Africa is the world's biggest producer of chrome ore,
accounts for around 70% of global mined platinum supply, and is
a major producer of other minerals and metals.
The lockdown hit global commodities markets since several
local miners have cut production plans or declared force
majeure, which exonerates them from contractual obligations.
Implats said its Canadian mining operations, which were
previously allowed to operate, were placed into care and
maintenance on Monday after seven coronavirus cases were
confirmed at its Lac des Iles mine over the past week.
"Management continues to collaborate with the health
authorities and operations will resume when it is safe to do
so," Implats said.
(Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg;
Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Chizu Nomiyama)