NEW YEAR - RENEWED

SAFETY COMMITMENT

Volume 8, Issue 01

January 2012

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LA Crushers has attained 694,321 Lost-Time Injury-Free hours to 15 December 2011. There is not far to go

before reaching our next target of 1 million LTI-free hours, however to reach it will require the complete

commitment of all employees. Each and every employee is responsible both for their own safety and for

the safety of everyone working around them. Complacency is the enemy of safety and we must all seek

new and innovative methods to keep safety awareness high. The company’s personal zero harm safety

pledge, which applies to all employees, takes the following form:

As an LAC employee I firmly believe that:

♦ People come to work with the intention of returning home safely;

♦ Safety is not a given. Commitment, good leadership and continual

focus on managing the risks is essential;

♦ Production can never be put before the safety of people;

♦ We have good systems and procedures, however we the people of

LA Crushers are the difference between good and great.

It is required that:

♦ You do not take short cuts for the sake of production;

♦ You carefully consider the risks before giving any instruction or performing any task;

♦ You freely communicate and take action on any matter that may affect the safety of any person;

♦ You refuse to perform any task in which you feel the risk has not been properly managed;

♦ You use the necessary resources and equipment to perform your tasks safely.

Over the next year you will see managers and supervisors:

♦ Leading by example, adhering to rules and walking the talk;

♦ Promoting safety awareness by talking, observing and coaching the employees with whom they engage;

♦ Being visible in the field, notably demonstrating the importance of employees stopping to correct

substandard conditions and behaviour;

♦ Ensuring that meetings and inspections serve a specific purpose with respect to safety;

♦ Creating an atmosphere that is

conducive

to open-

ness, trust

and mutual

respect.

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MANAGING DIRECTOR’S NEW YEAR MESSAGE All employees of LA Crushers,

I would like to start by expressing my gratitude to those who worked over the festive season. I was impressed by the dedica-tion and commitment shown and am delighted to report a marked reduction in absenteeism and disciplinary issues in comparison to previous festive seasons. Tonnages were consistent at Magnetite, Mining and Foskor Materials Handling. Well done to all.

The start of a New Year is always a time for reflection and resolution; a time to consider what has gone before and to plan for that which is to come. 2011 was an interesting year. Contract opportunities abounded but the company failed to capitalise fully on the potential to haul additional tons. This was due to a combination of factors, most notably machine availability. However, losses were also attributable to poor timekeeping, absenteeism and a lack of care of machines. Yet I am pleased to note that in later

months there was an appreciable increase in motivation and productivity, resulting in a well-earned bonus paid in November 2011.

There were a number of exciting developments for the company in 2011, but none more so than the change in shareholding. LAC was delighted to welcome the empower-ment company Pretamix (Pty) Ltd as a 46% shareholder in the company. This was the culmination of LA Crushers’ long-held wish that the community should have a stake in the company, which was achieved by the 51% stake in Pretamix held by the Sealeng Community Trust. The transaction was funded by the National Empowerment Fund and we look forward to a visit by the NEF to provide further details of this venture to all employees.

Turning our attention to 2012, the company aims to fulfil its mission and continue to provide world class levels of safety, productivity, profitability and customer service in all aspects of its operations. With increased emphasis on timekeeping, renewed focus on daily machine care, the arrival of new machines, the removal of unwarranted absenteeism and an increase in pure pride in our work the bonus targets are achievable, and routinely so. I assure you that nothing would give me more pleasure than to sign off bonuses each and every

month. To achieve this however will involve superior teamwork and renewed enthusiasm for giving our best during each moment of every shift, whilst never forgetting that no production target is more important than the safety of all employees. So let’s get back to basics and back to work. The opportunities for sustained success are tangible and I have complete faith in my team’s ability to excel at all that they do. That is the spirit of LA Crushers and I thank you for being a part of it.

I wish you all a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

LA Smith

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CONTRACT NEWS: FOSKOR GA-SELATI CUT

OFF TRENCHES PROJECT UNDERWAY

LAC has started work on preparation of the cut-off trenches for

the Ga-Selati River rehabilitation project at Foskor. The first

phase is underway and will involve excavation of six cut off

trenches of varying sizes, from 150 to 300 metres long, some of

which will need to be drilled and blasted. A number of test holes

are dug before work on each trench commences, in order to

establish the correct positioning of the trench’s length and depth

to ensure that the maximum quantity of seepage water will be

captured with the minimum disruption to trees and the

surrounding environment. The first trench has been blasted and

dug and main contractors Ilanga Construction will now proceed

with installing the filter mediums and constructing the sumps.

LAC has completed excavating the second trench as far as possi-

ble and it will now be

blasted to reach the opti-

mum depth. The project

will involve preparing a

total of 24 trenches spread

around the Foskor tailings

dam complex, and is

divided into four phases

which will take place over

the next four years.

WELCOME! To the following

new employees

who have joined

LAC in the past

two months:

KR Pilusa CT Rabothata

MV Sekgoka MM Malatji

WM Malesa RC Manthata

TM Malesa S Nondlozi

MD Marula BJ Mgiba

AL Sekgobela KE Ramothwala

R Nyathi P Nkonwana

TB Machethe S Malatji

D Hlangwana NA Mashatola

AR Ngobeni JF Mashego

MM Pilusa S Zwane

W Mavheneka KM Ramoshaba

DM Malungane MR Machechele

MW Shai SC Valoyi

CE Malatji MT Matlala

MF Moloto HT Shirinda

DT Maake TE Chuene

TR Thamahanyane

We look forward to

working with you!

LA Smith

TIMELY SUBMISSION OF LEAVE APPLICATION FORMS

Remember: Company rules demand that leave appli-

cation forms must be submitted at least two weeks

before the planned date of leave. It is not possible to

plan operational logistics at short notice, and this often

leads to the disappointment of having late applications

for leave refused. In addition, any leave requested

within two weeks of the date will be counted as emergency /

unplanned leave which affects any bonus payment that may be due

that month. It is therefore in every employee’s own interest to

pre-plan all requests for leave unless a genuine emergency occurs.

“Man who say

it cannot be

done should

not interrupt

man doing it”

Chinese Proverb

STAY HYDRATED! The hot weather is upon us

again and it cannot be stressed enough how important

it is to drink plenty of water. Never miss an opportu-

nity to take in water and help your body to off-set the

effects of the severe Phalaborwa heat. There doesn’t

seem to be a hard and fast rule about how much water

should be drunk, but as a guide, on exceptionally hot

days the body requires some 600ml of water per hour.

Even mild dehydration drains energy and affects

concentration, so keep that water coming!

CONGRATULATIONS!

To Solomon Baloyi and

Given Rapatsa, on the

recent birth of their

children. Enjoy every

moment with your precious gifts!

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IN SYMPATHY:

We are sad to report the

passing of two LA

Crushers’ employees -

Mr Everhardus Knox and Mr Luckson

Mathebula. Our sympathies are with

their families, friends and former

colleagues at this time.

On behalf of all at LAC, we would like

to extend the company’s condolences

to the following employees who have

lost family members:

♦ Linda van Niekerk and Samuel

Sepatake, whose mothers both

passed away;

♦ Roy Mzimba and Richard Mabaso,

who both had a sister pass away;

♦ Richard Ngobeni, whose brother

passed away;

♦ Nodia Tshelane, whose child

passed away; and

♦ Nelson Ubisi, whose son passed

away.

Our thoughts are with you all.

HIV/AIDS AWARENESS AND TESTING Counselling and voluntary test-

ing sessions are held regularly. Please contact Tebogo Ratopola at

HR if you would like to participate in one of these sessions. Please

consider getting tested - you know it’s the right thing to do!

SO IT’S A NEW YEAR - WHY ALL THE FUSS?

For a start, the New Year has not always begun on January 1,

and it begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day

solar calendar. 01 January only became the beginning of the

New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar

that would more accurately reflect the seasons.

The Romans named the first month of the

year after Janus, the god of beginnings and

the guardian of doors and entrances. He was

always depicted with two faces, one on the

front of his head and one on the back. Thus

he could look backward and forward at the

same time. At midnight on December 31, the

Romans imagined Janus looking back at the

old year and forward to the new one. New

Year was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years

ago, with a celebration that lasted eleven days.

Chinese New Year: Some cultures, such

as the Chinese, have lunar calendars

instead. A year in a lunar calendar is less

than 365 days because the months are

based on the phases of the moon. Chinese

New Year begins at the time of the first full

moon (over the Far East) after the sun en-

ters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.

Years are marked in a twelve-year cycle, each named after an

animal, such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse,

Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. People

born in a particular year are believed to share

some personality traits of that particular animal.

Resolutions: It is believed that the Babylonians were the first to

make New Year's resolutions, and people all over the world have

been breaking them ever since. The early Christians believed the

first day of the new year should be spent reflecting on past mis-

takes and resolving to improve oneself in the new year. A New

Year’s resolution should be made by midnight

on 31 December and still be in force the

following New Year’s eve. Yeah, right.

Fireworks: Noisemaking and fireworks on New

Year's eve is believed to have originated in an-

cient times, when noise and fire were thought

to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck. The

Chinese are credited with inventing fireworks

and many countries use them to spectacular

effect in their New Year's celebrations.

NEW YEAR SAYINGS

“Resolution: To tolerate fools more

gladly, provided this does not encour-

age them to take up more of my time”

James AgateJames AgateJames AgateJames Agate

“New Year's Day… now is the

accepted time to make your regular

annual good resolutions. Next week

you can begin paving hell with them

as usual.” Mark TwainMark TwainMark TwainMark Twain

“Good resolutions are

simply cheques that

men draw on a bank

where they have no

account”. Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Wilde