Rio Tinto has reportedly suspended activity at the minerals sands operation in South Africa, saying it is prioritising the safety of its 5 000 workers at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in KwaZulu-Natal.
Rio Tinto has reportedly suspended activity at the minerals sands operation in South Africa, saying it is prioritising the safety of its 5 000 workers at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in KwaZulu-Natal.
RBM is Rio Tinto’s only South African business and it exports titanium dioxide slag, used to create ingredients for products including paint, plastics, sunscreen, and toothpaste.
According to Bloomberg, the closure of RBM comes after the death of Nico Swart, who was the RBM’s manager.
He succumbed to injuries after a shooting incident while he was travelling to work.
A report by Zululand Observer, said 20 high-calibre bullets were sprayed into his vehicle in the Richards Bay suburb of Meerensee.
Swart was 47 years old. He served as an RBM employee for 14 years.
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala appealed for calm following Swart’s murder.
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala has appealed for calm following the murder of a general manager for operational services at Richards Bay Minerals, owned by mining giant Rio Tinto. | @NkoRaphael https://t.co/i2CyILdzOT pic.twitter.com/4e3AI1rv7I
— Eyewitness News (@ewnupdates) May 25, 2021
“It has become impossible for us to run the business. We won’t go back until it’s safe for our people,” Bloomberg quoted Managing Director Werner Duvenhage as saying.
The suspension of operations at RBM is a blow to the South African government’s efforts to attract new investment to the country.
A Fin24 report said the RBM operations had seen incidents of violence in recent years, with the shooting of an employee halting operations in December 2019.
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Picture: Unsplash
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
