DMR, Keaton at odds over status of Vaalkrantz retrenchment process

The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) continues to engage management of the Vaalkrantz colliery, in KwaZulu-Natal, to explore job saving options, DMR spokesperson Ayanda Shezi told Mining Weekly on June 3. She said the DMR continued to engage coal producer Keaton Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary Leeuw Mining and Exploration (LME) about Vaalkrantz in an effort to explore alternatives to the intended retrenchments by the mine.    “Vaalkrantz issued two Section 52 notices in March and May 2016, respectively, to the department; however, the details of the intended retrenchments were not clearly indicated,” stated Shezi.   She commented that, in the DMR’s engagements with Vaalkrantz, it had established that 211 contractors were affected by these notices.