Ngokwengxelo yeBloomberg News nge-24 kaFebruwari 2021, iHarmony Gold Mining Co. icinga ngokunyusa ubunzulu bokwembiwa komhlaba kwimigodi yegolide enzulu ehlabathini, njengoko abavelisi baseMzantsi Afrika befumanise, Kuye kwaba nzima ngakumbi ukwemba iindawo zokugcina iore ezinciphayo.
I-CEO yeHarmony uPeter Steenkamp uthe inkampani ifunda ngokumbiwa kwemigodi yegolide eMponeng ngaphaya kobunzulu obukwiikhilomitha ezi-4 ngoku, nto leyo enokwandisa ubomi bomgodi ngeminyaka engama-20 ukuya kwengama-30. Ukholelwa ukuba iindawo zokugcina iore ezingaphantsi kobu bunzulu “zinkulu”, kwaye iHarmony ihlola iindlela kunye notyalo-mali olufunekayo ukuphuhlisa ezi depositi.
IHarmony Gold Mining Company yenye yezona nkampani zimbalwa ziseleyo zabavelisi begolide eMzantsi Afrika ezifumene inzuzo kwizinto ezindala. Yayixhaswa yi-African Rainbow Minerals Ltd., inkampani engaphantsi kwebhiliyoni emnyama uPatrice Motsepe, kunyaka ophelileyo. Yathenga uMgodi weGolide iMboneng kunye nezinto zayo kwi-AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., yaba ngumvelisi omkhulu wegolide eMzantsi Afrika.
IHarmony ibhengeze ngoLwesibini ukuba inzuzo yayo kwisiqingatha sokuqala sonyaka inyuke ngaphezu kwezihlandlo ezithathu. Injongo yenkampani kukugcina imveliso yonyaka yeMboneng Gold Mine imalunga ne-250,000 ounces (iitoni ezisi-7), nto leyo enokunceda ukugcina imveliso iyonke yenkampani imalunga ne-1.6 yezigidi zee-ounces (iitoni ezingama-45.36). Nangona kunjalo, njengoko ubunzulu bomgodi busanda, umngcipheko weziganeko zenyikima kunye nokufa kwabasebenzi abavaleleke phantsi komhlaba nawo uyanda. Le nkampani ithi phakathi kukaJuni noDisemba kunyaka ophelileyo, abasebenzi abathandathu babulawa kwiingozi zemigodi ngexesha lemisebenzi yenkampani.
Umgodi wegolide okumgangatho wehlabathi waseMboneng okwangoku ngowona mgodi unzulu ehlabathini, kwaye ukwangomnye wemigodi yegolide emikhulu nekumgangatho ophezulu. Lo mgodi ukummandla osemantla-ntshona weWitwatersrand Basin kwiPhondo laseMntla-ntshona eMzantsi Afrika. Yindawo yakudala yegolide-uranium edibeneyo yohlobo lweRandi. Ukusukela ngoDisemba ka-2019, iindawo zokugcina iore eziqinisekisiweyo nezinokubakho zoMgodi weGolide waseMboneng zimalunga ne-36.19 yezigidi zeetoni, umgangatho wegolide yi-9.54g/t, kwaye iindawo zokugcina igolide eziqulethweyo zimalunga ne-11 yezigidi zee-ounces (iitoni ezingama-345); UMgodi weGolide waseMboneng ngo-2019 Imveliso yegolide eyi-224,000 ounces (iitoni ezingama-6.92).
Ishishini legolide laseMzantsi Afrika lalikade lilikhulu kwihlabathi liphela, kodwa ngenxa yokunyuka kweendleko zokumba imigodi yegolide enzulu kunye nokwanda kobunzima bejografi, ishishini legolide lelizwe liye lehla. Njengoko abavelisi begolide abakhulu abafana ne-Anglo Gold Mining Company kunye neGold Fields Ltd. betshintshela ingqalelo yabo kwezinye imigodi enenzuzo eAfrika, eOstreliya naseMelika, ishishini legolide laseMzantsi Afrika livelise iitoni ezingama-91 zegolide kunyaka ophelileyo, kwaye okwangoku ngabasebenzi abangama-93,000 kuphela.