On the surface, with a leadership team of only 55 people overseeing more than six operations in South Africa, Sibanye-Stillwater's management seems stretched to an alarming degree. That could be one of the factors contributing to its steep rise in fatalities this year. Of the 45 mineworkers who have died in South Africa this year, 20 worked at Sibanye-Stillwater operations. Since the company was founded six years ago, it has had 73 fatalities. This week, Sibanye appointed a new safety manager to deal with the problem, which has fed into a weakening share price, down 39% this year. The rise in fatalities comes as the miner is in a battle to rein in debt of R23-billion - more than its market capitalisation - caused by rapid expansion over its short history. In that time, Sibanye has bought the labour-intensive operation of Gold Fields, the Kloof-Driefontein Complex, as well as Beatrix, a couple of Anglo American Platinum mines and a US miner, Stillwater. Sibanye's industry peer, Anglo...
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