4th Dec 2019 08:02
(Alliance News) - Rio Tinto PLC said Wednesday it has stopped operations at its Richards Bay Minerals unit in South Africa.
The FTSE 100-listed miner said it has shut down the project over fears for the safety of its employees due to an "escalation in violence in the communities surrounding the operations".
"There has been an escalation of criminal activity towards RBM employees and one was shot and seriously injured in the last few days. As a result, all mining operations at RBM have been halted and the smelters are operating at a reduced level, with a minimum number of employees now on site. Construction of the Zulti South project has also been temporarily paused," Rio said.
Rio's Energy & Minerals Chief Executive Bold Baatar added: "The safety of our people is Rio Tinto's key priority and we have taken decisive action to stop operations to reduce the risk of serious harm to our team members.
"We are in discussions with the local communities, regional and national governments, and the police in order to find a way to address the safety and security issues. Our goal is to return RBM to normal operations in a safe and sustainable way. We would like to acknowledge and thank the police and authorities for their support."
The miner said it will contact its customers to "minimise potential disruptions".
As a result of this, Rio said its titanium dioxide slag production in 2019 will be at the bottom end of the guided range of 1.2 million tonnes to 1.4 million.
By Paul McGowan; [email protected]
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