POLITICS

Alexkor down to 105 employees - Malusi Gigaba

Minister says state owned diamond mine has shed 5/6 jobs since 2000

DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO.: 3561

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 26 November 2010

3561.   Mr J F Smalle (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:

How many employees did Alexkor employ in a full-time capacity in the (a) 2000 calendar year and (b) during the period 1 January 2010 up to the latest specified date for which information is available?                        NW4401E

REPLY

(a-b) The table below indicates the number of employees that were employed on a full-time capacity in 2000 and those employed on full-time capacity in 2010 at Alexkor. 

Full-time employees at Alexkor:

In the 2000 financial year

669

In the 2010/11 financial year

105

Alexkor has been subjected to a number of business constraints, including the land claim which the Richtersveld Community previously filed against Alexkor and the State under the terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act of 1994 for a parcel of land situated in Alexander Bay. These constraints have resulted in decreasing diamond recoveries over the years. The deed of settlement for the land claim was signed in April 2007.

The Deed of Settlement obligates Alexkor to, inter alia:

  • Transfer the agricultural and maricultural assets to the Richtersveld Agricultural Holding Company;
  • Transfer its land mining rights to the Richtersveld Community, and
  • Transfer the mining operations to a Pooling and Sharing Joint Venture.

As a consequence of the transfer of the agricultural assets and land mining rights of Alexkor to the Richtersveld Community as well as the imminent formation of the Pooling and Sharing Joint Venture, Alexkor embarked on a restructuring programme. This has resulted in the reduction in the number of full-time employees from 669 in 2000 to 105 in the 2010/11 financial year.

Issued by Parliament, January 25 2011

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