Anpario Regulatory News (ANP)

7 Mar 2008 09:35

Anglo Platinum Limited07 March 2008 Anglo Platinum Limited(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)Registration number 1946/022452/06Share code: AMS ISIN: ZAE000013181("Anglo Platinum" or "the Company") ANNOUNCEMENT RELATING TO THE PROPOSED ANGLO PLATINUM EMPLOYEE SHAREPARTICIPATION SCHEME 1. Summary Anglo Platinum is pleased to announce that it has reached consensus with itslabour representative organisations ("Recognised Unions") on the key terms andstructure of the Anglo Platinum broad-based employee share participation scheme("the Scheme"). Anglo Platinum has established the Anglo Platinum Kotula Trust("the Trust") for an eight year duration to facilitate the Scheme on behalf ofthe beneficiaries and will issue approximately 2.5 million shares to the Trust,representing approximately 1.0% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital.The shares issued to the Trust ("Scheme Shares") will be a combination of AngloPlatinum ordinary shares and a new class of unlisted ordinary shares (""A"Ordinary Shares"). The 1.5% scheme originally contemplated by Anglo Platinum did not envisage theissue of a proportion of fully facilitated (i.e. free) shares to the Trust.Following a thorough consultation process with its Recognised Unions, and toreduce the risk of share price volatility to the Scheme thereby ensuring thatsustainable value is created for beneficiaries, Anglo Platinum has structuredthe Scheme to include 40% fully facilitated shares through the issue of ordinaryshares to the Trust. The proposed 1% Scheme is equivalent in cost to placing1.5% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital into a HistoricallyDisadvantaged South African ("HDSA") trust on a 100% "A" Ordinary Share basis. The Trust will receive the full dividend in respect of the Scheme OrdinaryShares and dividends equal to one-sixth of an ordinary share dividend in respectof the "A" Ordinary Shares. These dividends will be paid out annually to thebeneficiaries. In addition, beneficiaries will receive capital distributions atthe end of years five, six and seven which may potentially be reinvested toprovide ongoing benefits beyond the original term of the Trust. 2. Rationale Anglo Platinum has decided to implement the Scheme to incentivise its employees,and recognises that the Scheme will contribute to the alignment of shareholders'and employees' interests in respect of the value growth of the Company. AngloPlatinum is fully supportive of Black Economic Empowerment ("BEE") as astrategic transformation objective and recognises the importance of theparticipation of its employees in its transformation initiatives. The Scheme will empower Anglo Platinum employees by enabling them to acquireapproximately 1% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company, subject tothe provisions of the Trust. One of the anticipated functions of the Trust willbe to evaluate appropriate savings and investment vehicles for thebeneficiaries. Anglo Platinum has concluded all agreements necessary to implement the Scheme,which implementation is subject to the fulfilment of the conditions precedent inparagraph 4 below. 3. Details relating to the Scheme 3.1 Creation and issue of Scheme Shares Anglo Platinum will increase its authorised share capital through the creationof 1 512 780 "A" Ordinary Shares. The "A" Ordinary Shares will be issued byAnglo Platinum to the Trust in addition to the 1 008 519 ordinary shares issuedto the Trust. The expected cost of the Scheme is approximately R1 803 million. 3.2 Voting Although unlisted, the "A" Ordinary Shares will have full voting rights. Theissue of unlisted ordinary shares with full voting rights requires, in terms ofthe JSE Limited's ("JSE") Listings Requirements, a fairness opinion by anindependent professional expert, further details of which are provided inparagraph 6 below. The Trust shall be entitled to exercise all voting rights attaching to allshares of which it is the registered owner until the shares vest in thebeneficiaries as contemplated in paragraph 3.6. 3.3 Beneficiaries The beneficiaries of the Trust will include all permanent employees of AngloPlatinum's South African operations, including any South African joint venturein which Anglo Platinum or its subsidiaries have a participation share orinterest of at least 50% and which is managed by Anglo Platinum or itssubsidiaries ("Employer Companies", and collectively, "the Group"), who do notcurrently participate in any Anglo Platinum share scheme as at the date theScheme is approved by shareholders ("Approval Date") and persons who may jointhe Group as an employee between the Approval Date and the sixth anniversary ofthe Approval Date. More than 90% of beneficiaries will be HDSAs. Beneficiarieswill be allocated notional units in the Trust on an annual basis which will beused to determine a beneficiary's personal vested right to participation in thecapital and income of the Scheme Shares held by the Trust. The Trust Deed makes detailed provision for the position of a beneficiary in theevent of death, disability, retrenchment, retirement, promotions or appointmentsinto employee categories that participate in other employee incentive schemes aswell as dismissal or resignation of beneficiaries. 3.4 Dividends It is anticipated that the dividends and other share distributions received bythe Trust in respect of the Scheme Shares shall be paid to the beneficiariesannually on or about the last day of November, subject to the condition that thebeneficiaries are employees at the time of the distribution. In addition, Anglo Platinum will pay to the Trust an initial dividend equal tothe dividend which would have been payable in respect of the "A" Ordinary Sharesand the ordinary shares held by the Trust had these shares been in issue on themost recent Anglo Platinum dividend declaration date. 3.5 Repurchase and cancellation of "A" Ordinary Shares Anglo Platinum will repurchase, at par value, and cancel all or some of the "A"Ordinary Shares on each of the fifth, sixth and seventh anniversaries of theSubscription Date ("Vesting Dates") in accordance with the cancellation formulaincluded in the memorandum and articles of association of the Company ("theArticles"). The "A" Ordinary Shares that are not repurchased and cancelled willbe converted into ordinary shares and listed on the JSE after each Vesting Date. The board of directors of Anglo Platinum ("the Board") undertake that they willnot implement any such repurchase as contemplated above unless it complies infull with the Companies Act (Act 61 of 1973), the JSE Listings Requirements andthe Articles of the Company. An announcement will be released on SENS in theevent that the specific repurchase takes place, including a statement as to thesource of funds to be utilised. 3.6 Vesting of the Scheme Shares in the beneficiaries The Scheme Shares will vest in three equal tranches on the Vesting Dates. Oneach Vesting Date, the beneficiaries will become entitled to receive theirportion of the Scheme Shares that have vested and will correspondingly realisethat portion of their notional units that corresponds to the Scheme Shares to bedistributed to them by the Trust. 3.7 Administration The Trust will appoint an independent company to administer the affairs of theTrust. Trust expenses, including administration costs, will be borne by theTrust and paid out of the interest accruing to the Trust and, if required, sharedistributions paid to the Trust on the Scheme Shares. The Company willcontribute to expenses on such basis as may be agreed from time to time betweenthe Trustees and the Company. 3.8 Appointment of trustees The Company will appoint the initial trustee. All Recognised Unions will beentitled to appoint one trustee plus one additional trustee for every completeten thousand employees represented by such Recognised Union. In addition, thetrustees so appointed will elect up to four independent trustees, all of whomwill be suitably qualified in terms of an agreed skill profile. The chairpersonwill be elected from the independent trustees and shall have a casting vote. All trustees appointed by the Company and the Recognised Unions, with theexception of independent trustees, may be employees of the Company and may bebeneficiaries of the Trust. The majority of trustees will be HDSAs. 4. Conditions precedent and shareholder approval The implementation of the Scheme is subject to the fulfilment of the followingconditions precedent: • the passing of the special resolutions to amend the memorandum and Articles of the Company, create the "A" Ordinary Shares and grant authority for a specific repurchase of "A" Ordinary Shares and the ordinary resolution to authorise the specific issue of shares for cash by the requisite majority of ordinary and preference shareholders at the combined general meeting and the ordinary resolutions to adopt the Scheme and grant authority to the directors to give effect to the proposed resolutions by the requisite majority of ordinary shareholders at the combined general meeting; • the registration of the special resolutions by CIPRO; and • the Master of the High Court of South Africa issuing a letter of authority to the initial trustee. 5. Pro forma financial effects The unaudited pro forma financial effects illustrate the impact of the Scheme onthe most recently published annual results as at 31 December 2007 and assumingthat the Scheme took effect on 1 January 2007. The information has been preparedfor illustrative purposes only and may not, because of its nature, give a fairreflection of the financial position, changes in equity, results of operationsof cash flows after completion of the Scheme. The directors of Anglo Platinumare responsible for the unaudited pro forma financial information. For the year ended 31 December 2007 Before the After the Movement Scheme Scheme (%)Net asset value pershare1 SA cents 11 974 11 974 0.0Tangible net asset valueper share1 SA cents 11 974 11 974 0.0Basic earnings pershare2, 3 SA cents 5 241 5 148 (1.8)Diluted earnings pershare2, 4 SA cents 5 203 5 112 (1.8)Headline earnings pershare2, 5 SA cents 5 239 5 146 (1.8)Weighted average numberof shares in issue6 millions 234.7 234.7 0.0Weighted average dilutednumber of shares inissue7 millions 237.0 237.0 0.0Number of shares inissue8 millions 236.4 236.4 0.0 Notes: 1. Net asset value per share is computed by dividing total equity attributable to ordinary shareholders by the number of shares in issue. Tangible net asset value per share is equal to net asset value per share as the Company does not hold any intangible assets. 2. Earnings are reduced by the IFRS 2 (AC503) - Share Based Payments expense measured at grant date and spread over the vesting period of seven years. 3. Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of shares in issue. 4. The diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average diluted number of shares in issue. 5. Headline earnings is calculated in terms of Circular 8/2007 on Headline Earnings issued by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. Headline earnings per share is computed by dividing headline earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of shares in issue. 6. The weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue was 234.7 million for the year ended 31 December 2007. The Trust is consolidated and consequently the issuance of the Scheme Shares will not increase the weighted average number of shares in issue. 7. The weighted average diluted number of ordinary shares in issue was 237.0 million for the year ended 31 December 2007 and even with the issuance of 2.5 million Scheme Shares, the weighted average diluted number of ordinary shares in issue for that period has remained the same as the shares issued have an insignificant dilutive impact for the period. 8. The number of ordinary shares in issue as at 31 December 2007 was 236.4 million. The Trust is consolidated and consequently the issuance of the Scheme Shares will not increase the number of ordinary shares in issue. 6. Opinions and recommendations In terms of the Listings Requirements, an independent professional expert was required to determine if the terms and conditions of the "A" Ordinary Shares are fair to shareholders. Ernst & Young Advisory Services Limited, the independent professional expert appointed by the Board in terms of the JSE Listings Requirements, has considered the terms and conditions of the "A" Ordinary Shares and is of the opinion that such terms and conditions are fair to shareholders. The full opinion of the independent professional expert is contained in the circular which will be posted to ordinary and preference shareholders on or about 7 March 2008. The Board has considered the terms and conditions of the Scheme and the opinion of the independent professional expert and is of the opinion that the Scheme is in the best interests of Anglo Platinum and its shareholders. 7. Salient dates and times 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Circular posted to shareholders on Friday, 7 March Form of proxy for the combined general meeting to be Thursday, 27 March received by 14:30 on Combined general meeting to be held at 14:30, or as Monday, 31 March soon thereafter as the Annual General Meeting of Anglo Platinum is concluded, on Results of combined general meeting released on Monday, 31 March SENS on Results of combined general meeting published in Tuesday, 1 April the press on Special resolutions lodged with CIPRO on or about Tuesday, 1 April --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: These dates and times are subject to amendment. Any material amendment will bereleased on SENS and published in the press. 8. Documentation A circular containing the full details of the Scheme, including a notice of combined general meeting, will be posted to Anglo Platinum ordinary and preference shareholders on or about 7 March 2008. The circular will also be available on Anglo Platinum's website at www.angloplat.com. Johannesburg7 March 2008 Merchant bank and transaction sponsorRand Merchant Bank (a division of FirstRand Bank Limited) Tax advisorsKPMG Services (Pty) Ltd SponsorMerrill Lynch South Africa (Pty) Ltd Employee ownership corporate advisorsThe ESOP Shop (Pty) Ltd Corporate law advisorsDeneys Reitz Inc Reporting accountantsDeloitte & Touche (Registered auditors) Independent professional expertErnst & Young Advisory Services Limited This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange