Efforts are being made to save jobs for more than 6 000 miners employed at DRDGold mines in the North West.  DRDGold is currently going through liquidation and was expected to foster a deal with another mining company, Simmer and Jack Mines Limited.

Simmer offered to buy some of the DRDGold assets but an offer by the former company to take over all South African assets of DRDGold that are not in liquidation has however been rejected

"I had hoped that together we could work as a team to recapitalise and re-energise the company's South African assets. The decision, however, has been taken and the DRD board has set the company on its future course," said Rogger Kebble, the chairperson of Simmer and Jack Mines Limited in a statement.

Last week, DRDGold shut down its eight shafts in the province and sent the entire workforce home. The mine has been losing R20 million rands monthly.

Meanwhile, Patrick Craven, a spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), says there are many other ways to save the miners' jobs. A further reduction in interest rates will bring down the over-value of the rand. It will also stimulate economic growth.

30 March 2005