Gold mine in overdrive to stop flooding

Aurora's Grootvlei mine is working overtime to repair two pumps needed to prevent flooding underground.

If the mine, in Springs, on Gauteng's East Rand, floods, its gold ore would become inaccessible.

Because of heavy rain in recent weeks, toxic mine water in the area is rising at about 40cm a day, almost overwhelming the two pumps in operation at the mine.

Grootvlei is working overtime to fix two other pumps to double its pumping capacity.

It is the only operational mine in the area that still pumps water from the eastern basin of the Reef.

Before the rains, the water was rising at a rate of about 6cm a day.

On Monday, mine foreman Derrick Souden told The Times that, without more pumps, the mine would be flooded in less than two weeks.

"We hope that by tomorrow [Wednesday] we will have four pumps. We will do some welding, fixing and maintenance. By Thursday, all going well, we hope to have six pumps," he said.

If the mine is allowed to flood, Khulubuse Zuma, a nephew of President Jacob Zuma, and Zondwa Mandela, former president Nelson Mandela's grandson, will have to abandon their bid to buy it.

Zuma and Mandela have been in the news for failing to secure investors for Pamodzi Gold's liquidated mines - Grootvlei and a gold mine in Orkney, in North West - and for failing to pay mine workers for months.

In December, a high court gave the mines' liquidators a two-month extension in which to secure funding for the acquisition of the mines. The deadline is now February 28.

One of the liquidators, Enver Motala, said a Chinese company was interested in buying the mines.

"Things are 100% on track. It's just a matter of time. By February 28 the Chinese company that will partner Aurora must issue the guarantees and the deal will go through," he said.

Motala would not name the Chinese company, but said it was listed on both the Beijing and Shanghai stock exchanges.

It will post guarantees of $100-million for a controlling stake in the mines.

National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said the union had no reason to believe that the liquidators would deliver.

"There have been so many unfulfilled promises. For us, seeing will be believing."

He said he was grateful that Aurora eventually paid some of its workers last month.

"It's very difficult to quantify how many workers were paid."

Aurora spokesman Thulani Ngubane was not available for comment yesterday.