African Rainbow Minerals closes Cato Ridge Works, retrenches the workers

AFRICAN Rainbow Minerals (ARM) on Tuesday said its Cato Ridge Works operations (CRW) and business would close permanently, and all affected employees would be retrenched on August 31, 2025. Its Malaysia business is also being sold.

- EDWARD WEST

The CRW joint venture between ARM, which has well known South African businessman Patrice Motsepe as its biggest shareholder, and Assmang employed about 600 employees. ARM stated that a structured and comprehensive consultation process in accordance with Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act had been completed.

“This decision has been reached after a comprehensive review of CRW's operational and financial position. Despite sustained efforts to explore alternatives to closure, the operation has continued to experience significant and unsustainable financial losses,” ARM's directors said in a statement on the JSE's news service.