JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – New Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) CEO Natascha Viljoen said on Monday that “thankfully” the company was able to pay all of its employees their full fixed basic salaries, pension and medical benefits, as well as housing allowances where applicable, for the full 35 days of the Covid-19 lockdown period.

She and FD Craig Miller would donate 30% of their salaries for three months to charities associated with the relief effort of Amplats in its host communities.

Nonexecutive directors had elected to contribute 30% of their fees for three months to charitable organisations that were aiding the pandemic relief effort.

The executive team had elected to contribute to the employee matching scheme supported by the Anglo American Foundation, and many employees had been forthcoming in making contributions to charities of their choice, Amplats stated in a release to Mining Weekly.

The Anglo American Foundation, the release stated, had set up a global programme to match employees’ personal donations to a number of local and global organisations, including the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 Response Solidarity Fund, national Red Cross societies and South Africa’s Solidarity Fund, up to an initial aggregate value of $1-million, giving a total matched value of $2-million.

In addition, Amplats would continue to provide a wide range of essential services to its host communities in South Africa and Zimbabwe, offering additional assistance to alleviate Covid-19’s health and economic effects. In partnership with the University of Pretoria, Gift of the Givers and other stakeholders, Amplats reported that it was:

• expanding water supply to communities that did not have access to water;
• supporting local clinics and hospitals with training and providing essential personal protective equipment (PPE) and other equipment to assist them in responding to the pandemic;
• delivering food parcels to vulnerable families; and
• undertaking community awareness campaigns.

These initiatives would benefit more than 100 000 households in its host communities.

Viljoen said the JSE-listed Amplats would ensure that support was directed to those most in need and vulnerable at this time and provide both monetary and in-kind assistance as conditions in South Africa and Zimbabwe continued to evolve.

“We’ll also ensure our people at work are safe and equipped to stay healthy and our business is ready to support economic recovery,” Viljoen stated. 

The contribution of 30% of top-level pay was in response to the call made by President Cyril Ramaphosa to contribute to the national fight against the spread of Covid-19. Amplats commended the personal financial commitments of the President, Deputy President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Premiers to donate a third of their salaries for the next three months to the national Solidarity Fund.