GOLD mining companies AngloGold Ashanti and Sibanye-Stillwater have teamed up to supply hand sanitiser produced by chemicals group, Sasol.
A fourth company, Imperial Logistics, has joined the partnership in its capacity as a supply chain expert. Sibanye-Stillwater will distribute the materials. Strictly-speaking, AngloGold has no direct operational footprint in the country having agreed to sell its last South African assets, Mponeng and Mine Waste Solutions to Harmony Gold.
The gold miners have identified host and labour-sending communities, specifically distributing sanitiser to schools, health facilities and taxi ranks.
The move comes as Covid-19 moves inexorably across South Africa which ranks as the country with the fifth most infections. At last count, 394, 948 infections have been logged with the authorities and 5,940 deaths have occurred as a result of the virus.
“The safety, health and wellbeing of our employees is our primary concern and our focus of providing a safe working environment is unwavering,” said Neal Froneman, CEO of Sibanye-Stillwater. “We also recognise the need to work with government to support communities that host our operations in managing the scourge of COVID-19,” he said.
AngloGold Ashanti, Sasol, and Sibanye-Stillwater will jointly share the costs of producing the hand sanitisers with Imperial.
AngloGold Ashanti operates in the Free State, Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo and Gauteng provinces. The programme will also be extended to some regions in the Eastern Cape. Sasol has appointed the toll manufacturer and will also oversee the production, packaging and preparation for safe transportation of 94,550 litres of hand sanitiser.