Issued by Harmony Gold
Mining Company Limited
16 April 2010
For more details contact:
Graham Briggs
Chief Executive Officer
on +27(0)83 265 0274
or
Marian van der Walt
Executive : Corporate and
Investor Relations
on +27 (0)82 888 1242
Corporate Office:
Randfontein Office Park
P O Box 2
Randfontein
South Africa 1760
T
+27 (11) 411 2000
www.harmony.co.za
JSE: HAR
NYSE: HMY
NASDAQ: HMY
ISIN No.: ZAE000015228
Restructuring for quality ounces continues
Closure of Virginia operations’ Harmony 2, Merriespruit 1 and Merriespruit 3 shafts
Johannesburg. Friday, 16 April 2010. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited
announced that following careful review of the performance of its Harmony 2,
Merriespruit 1 and Merriespruit 3 shafts (all part of the Virginia operations), these
assets have no remaining payable reserves and their closure has begun.
This action is in line with Harmony’s stated strategy to restructure for quality ounces,
thereby improving its asset mix.
Employee representatives, through their trade unions, have been informed of the
closures and management will embark on a formal consultation process with them,
facilitated by a senior commissioner from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation
and Arbitration (CCMA) in terms of Section 189A of the Labour Relations Act, to
consider alternatives to retrenchments. The number of employees affected by the
closure is approximately 3 700.
Every effort will be made to mitigate the effects of closure. Steps to be considered
may include transfers to other operations in the group, portable skills training and
early retirement.
“While these operations have been in existence for almost 60 years and are very
much a part of Harmony’s history, we have taken a thorough, informed decision that
they have reached the end of their lives. We have indicated for some time that
marginal, loss-making operations would have to close for the company’s greater
good,” said Harmony CEO Graham Briggs.