PRESS STATEMENT: Zimplats cleared, continues operating
Zimplats would like to notify its stakeholders that the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, President E.D. Mnangagwa, declared COVID-19 as a National Disaster on 23 March 2020. On Friday, 27 March 2020, the President announced a 21-day lockdown directive, with the intention of curbing the spread of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe, which started on Monday, 30 March 2020. The lockdown is to continue until midnight on Sunday, 19 April 2020.
Zimplats supports the decision taken by the Government of Zimbabwe to help flatten the curve of the
COVID-19 infection rate and is committed to contributing where it can to the country’s socio-economic
stability. During the national lockdown, Zimplats’ primary focus is on protecting the lives and livelihoods of its employees, contractors, service providers and communities by doing all it can to sustain the financial viability of its business and its contribution to the national well being of the country.
Following the directive issued by the Government of Zimbabwe on 27 March 2020 and a subsequent complementary statement issued by the Minister of Mines and Mining Development on Sunday, 29 March 2020, Zimplats applied for permission to continue operating under agreed precautionary measures. Permission was granted and allows for mining and processing operations to continue relatively uninterrupted during the lockdown period.
We must emphasise that the safety of our employees and contractors on all Zimplats sites is a key priority. Additional measures are in place to protect their health while working during the lockdown period and thereafter. These include, but are not limited to, heightened risk mitigation measures through early COVID-19 detection, an enhanced focus on pandemic awareness, workplace hygiene, medical surveillance, additional personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and the isolation and treatment of suspected and confirmed cases. All company clinics and medical facilities have been prepared to deal with COVID-19 cases and will remain open and fully operational during the lockdown period. At this stage, no COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed among employees or their
dependants.
Zimplats received a force majeure letter from Impala Platinum Limited (“Impala”) in respect of the offtake agreement, following the announcement of the South African national lockdown which became effective on 26 March 2020. Notwithstanding the force majeure notification, Zimplats will continue to mine and process ore and will supply Impala, in accordance with the offtake agreement, once the force majeure has been lifted, after the national lockdown.
Zimplats has issued force majeure letters to contractors working on capital projects and other financial institutions, to legally suspend contractual obligations under existing contracts with them until the end of the current lockdown period or any extension thereof.
Several steps have been taken to respond at short notice to His Excellency, President E.D. Mnangagwa’s directive while seeking to preserve the financial viability of the business. Zimplats will continue to maximise the business flexibility provided by its asset base and remains prepared to adjust its operating plans in line with the ongoing developments of these unprecedented events. Zimplats will provide additional updates as the situation develops.
This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board of Directors of Zimplats Holdings Limited.
For further information please contact:
Alex Mhembere Chief Executive Officer
Zimplats Holdings Limited, Tel: + 263 242 886 888