MINE TURNAROUND
Tough task for new Implats boss Nico Muller
The Implats board has hired an outsider with a turnaround track record to shepherd it through its transition
Mining engineer Nico Muller has taken on one of the toughest jobs in the South African mining sector, heading Impala Platinum (Implats) as it faces the transition to three new shafts, one of which is in Zimbabwe, and bringing the company to its full potential at home. Muller, who as the Gold Fields executive vice-president for SA successfully restructured the troubled and underperforming South Deep mine, will take over as Implats CE on April 3 next year, filling the gap left by Terence Goodlace who left at the end of November. The Implats board deemed it important to hire an outsider with a fresh perspective, with one of the key focuses being the return of the mines around Rustenburg to their optimal performance to bring Implats to capacity of 830,000oz of platinum from 2020, chairman Mandla Gantsho told Business Day in October. The Rustenburg mines have underperformed due to safety transgressions, fires and age. Implats wants its flagship Rustenburg operation to deliver 715,000oz o...
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