25 May 2007 10:18
Anglo Platinum Limited25 May 2007 Anglo Platinum Limited Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa Registration No. 1946/022452/06 JSE Code: AMSP ISIN: ZAE000054474 ("the Company") Media and SENS release 25 May 2007 Anglo Platinum to build R283m Mine Training Centre on Eastern Limb Anglo Platinum is pleased to announce that it has approved a R283 million MineTraining Centre to be constructed on its Twickenham Mine property in support ofthe social and labour plans for its new mining projects. The Mine Training Centre will support the training needs of 2 000 new miningemployees per annum and will feed trained employees to new and existing miningprojects on the Eastern Limb of the Bushveld complex. The Mine Training Centrewill include surface and underground training facilities to equip employees withconventional and mechanised mining skills to match the spread of miningtechniques employed by Anglo Platinum. Construction will commence in June 2007 with the first trainees expected to beenrolled in 2008. Commenting on the announcement Ralph Havenstein, Chief Executive of AngloPlatinum said, "We are committed to improving our operating efficiency andrecognise the positive effects that strong local communities around ouroperations have on performance. This centre on the underdeveloped Eastern Limbwill further boost our ability to support all aspects of our expandingproduction base and the development of the new mines necessary to achieve ourplanned platinum growth." Sello Moloto, Premier of Limpopo province said, "The importance of job creationand poverty alleviation in Limpopo can not be emphasised enough and theappropriate skills acquisition is very important to support the expandingplatinum mining business in our province." In addition to the 2 000 trainees the project will provide 100 new permanentemployment opportunities at the mine as well as 100 employment opportunitiesduring the construction phase in the Limpopo province. Practical undergroundtraining in a working environment is the primary focus of the Mine TrainingCentre, however supervisory, infrastructure development and maintenance skillstraining will also be catered for. To complement the Mine Training Centre Anglo Platinum has significantlyincreased its artisan training and tertiary education funding. Anglo Platinum'sEngineering Skills Training Centre ("ESTC") in Gauteng is currently undergoing aR27million upgrade to increase capacity and plans, over the next 5 years, toprovide 1 400 qualified artisans. Over the same period Anglo Platinum willprovide over 340 new bursaries to students at tertiary institutions,complimenting the current 486 bursars and providing a pipeline of graduates tosatisfy the skills requirements of the new mines. For further information please contact: Simon Tebele+27 11 373 6865+27 83 275 2751 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange