Gold Fields said on Tuesday that four miners had been killed in two separate underground accidents at its Driefontein and South Deep gold mines on the West Rand. Vishnu Pillay, head of Gold Fields’s South African operations, said the company deeply regretted the loss of life and said safety was still their number one priority.
The JSE was weaker in quiet trade at midday, weighed down by a firmer rand, lower metal prices and what was described as a disappointing production report from Anglo American. South African markets were closed on Monday for a holiday and are also closed on Thursday and Friday this week, with many players away for the two days in between.
Electricity-supply constraints experienced at Anglo Platinum mines in January and February affected production, the company said on Tuesday. In its quarterly review report for the period January 1 2008 to March 31 2008, the company said that the ”ongoing impact of the constrained electricity supply is expected to continue to have some impact on production”.
A total of 7 868 items of luggage belonging to South African Airways (SAA) passengers were reported missing from airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London in the three-month period between December 1 and February 29 this year.
Power was restored to Kempton Park on Gauteng’s East Rand at about 3.30am on Tuesday after just under seven days of darkness, the Ekurhuleni municipality said. Spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said an investigation into the cause of the power failure was under way.
Finnish Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen was recovering well on Monday from the spectacular crash he suffered during the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday. ”I don’t remember anything from the accident or what happened afterwards,” Kovalainen said, in comments posted on the McLaren-Mercedes website.
Emmanuel Adebayor came off the bench to score a hat-trick as Arsenal thrashed already relegated Premier League basement side Derby County 6-2 at Pride Park on Monday. It was the second time this season the Gunners had inflicted a heavy defeat upon the Rams after their 5-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in September.
Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani said on Monday the governing body could lose credibility after the ”disgraceful” treatment of outgoing chief executive Malcolm Speed. Mani became the latest critic of the ICC board, which has come under fire after Speed was placed on paid leave on Friday.
Fernando Torres has been living a dream in the Champions League this season but the Liverpool striker wants one more fairy tale in his side’s semifinal second leg against Chelsea on Wednesday. Torres has made a big impact in his first Champions League campaign and his goals have been instrumental in Liverpool’s march to the brink of a third final in four seasons.
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard shrugged off mounting speculation about his future on Monday as he said his side had prepared for a penalty shoot-out ahead of their Champions League semifinal second-leg clash against Manchester United on Tuesday. The Catalan side held United to a goalless draw in last week’s first leg at the Nou Camp.