City Press reports that AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) has at least three parties interested in buying its Kopanang mine near Klerksdorp in North West, which is one of two operations the gold producer plans to shut down.  

AGA has made all prospective buyers sign nondisclosure agreements that restrict them from talking about their respective bids, but it appears that one of the bidders is a 100% black-owned consortium which has registered a company called Kopanang Shaft 9.  It is led by local mining engineer Lebo Ramorule and Kopanang mine manager Stephen Manyathela and is reportedly preparing a bid of more than R330 million.  AGA needs slightly less than that to settle all the retrenchment packages for the mine workers.  The second prospective buyer of the 4 000-worker strong Kopanang mine is another consortium said to be led by the Chinese owners of another gold mine in the area, Tau Lekoa.  The third buyer in the running is said to be Harmony Gold, which has reportedly been eyeing AGA’s local assets for a long time.

• Read this report by Lesetja Malope in full at City Press

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