Harmony Gold’s senior management team, the new owners of the CSA Mine, made their first official visit to the operation last week in what executives described as an important opportunity to meet employees, local stakeholders and community representatives face-to-face.
Although members of the Australasian executive group have been on site since taking possession of the mine in October, the visit on Thursday marked the first time the entire senior leadership team toured the operation together.
Harmony CEO Beyers Nel, who previously visited the site during the due diligence phase, said the purpose of last week’s trip was to establish personal connections.
“Today was very much about a face-to-face introduction. Connectedness is a value we deeply honour,” Mr Nel said.
“We’re not hands-off executives, we want to be among the people and show who we are and what we stand for,” he said.
The team said the transition of ownership had gone “absolutely smoothly,” and had exceeded their expectations.
Executives said they had felt a strong and genuine welcome from both the CSA workforce and the surrounding community.
While acknowledging that the mine faces several challenges (many were identified during the acquisition process), Mr Nel said Harmony has plenty of experience working in some of the world’s deepest mines in South Africa and it was how they would respond to the challenges at CSA that will make the difference.
“We are here for the long haul,” he said.
The itinerary extended beyond the mine gates, with the group planning a visit to the miner’s memorial and lunch with community organisations and council representatives.
Mr Nel said they hoped to meet as many local decision-makers as possible.
“Mining is more than extracting metals,” he said. “It’s about connecting with people, history and heritage.”
Mr Nel reaffirmed the mine’s commitment to community investment and responsible partnering, noting the crucial role the mine plays in the town’s history as well as its economic and social future.
