Starting Tuesday, all of Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold and PGM operations in South Africa are under care and maintenance

Sibanye-Stillwater’s decision emulates that of Ramaphosa and his deputy president, ministers and deputy ministers, who will donate a third of their salaries for the next three months to the Solidarity Fund.

When announcing the move, the government also asked companies for additional support in the national fight against the novel coronavirus.

“The safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, contractors and communities is our primary concern and every effort continues to be made to identify and minimize the risks posed by covid-19 to employees and contractors,” Sibanye said in a media statement.

“We are however mindful of the critical support we provide for thousands of employees and their families, communities and small businesses as well as the essential financial contribution we make to both regional and national economies. In this regard, we continue to engage with all stakeholders on ways to minimize the impact on the South African economy and ensure our sustainable contribution.”

Starting Tuesday, all of Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold and PGM operations in South Africa are under care and maintenance.

The company, however, has received permits to carry out limited mining and processing activities, which are subject to the implementation of agreed protocols to address covid-19-related health and safety risks.