Sibanye-Stillwater reported that production from the Siphumelele shaft has been suspended due to damage to the shaft’s surface infrastructure that occurred on February 29, 2024.
An ore collector bin attached to the shaft headgear sheared off and fell to the ground, damaging the ore conveyor system on the surface. There were no injuries because of the incident, but the damage to the ore collector bin and the collapse of the conveyor system prevents regular production activities. Investigations into the cause of the incident are underway and the company said the impact on annual production from the Siphumelele shaft is being assessed.
The Siphumelele shaft, which is part of Sibanye-Stillwater’s South African platinum group metals (SA PGM) operations, was forecast to produce 54,000 4Eoz for 2024, which accounts for approximately 3.5% of annual production from the SA PGM operations in Rustenburg.
