Assmang declares force majeure at ferromanganese works in South Africa amid unrest

Ferrous metals miner and processor Assmang has declared force majeure on customer contracts at the Cato Ridge Works and Cato Ridge Alloys in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Province amid unrest in the area, executive director Andre Joubert said July 14.

Road transport to and from the two facilities has been halted by its transportation providers owing to violence and unrest in the province this week, Joubert said in a telephone interview with S&P Global Platts.

"We are not moving anything in and out of the plant in terms of product and raw materials," he added.

"No product can be exported via the ports of Durban nor Richards Bay due to the road closures and disruption of port activities," the company told Platts in a statement.

Although Joubert confirmed that the plants are currently operational, smelting operations were suspended on July 12 and partly on July 13 due to the inability of key staff to get to work.

"Management is monitoring the situation and is in constant communication with its employees, suppliers and customers," the company said in a written statement to Platts.

"Assmang Cato Ridge Works' management and its [labor] unions strongly condemn the violence and hope that calm will be restored as soon as possible," the company said.

Assmang is a 50:50 joint venture between diversified miner African Rainbow Minerals and iron ore, manganese and chrome miner Assore and is a miner and processor of iron ore, manganese ore and ferromanganese for the world's steel industries.

The Cato Ridge Works and Cato Ridge Alloys plants provide high carbon and refined ferromanganese for export.