Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has announced that Werner Duvenhage, managing director of RBM and Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium Africa Operations, will leave the business.
RBM announced on Tuesday that Duvenhage would leave the business on July 31 to pursue an opportunity outside the company. COO Wilhemina Ngcobo will assume the role of acting managing director.
Duvenhage joined Rio Tinto in 2013 as managing director of Rössing Uranium Limited in Namibia, where he led the business until 2018.
He subsequently joined RBM and has since led the business through a period of challenge and change, playing a central role in stabilising operations, strengthening relationships with host communities and rebuilding trust with stakeholders.
“Together with his team, he helped establish the conditions necessary to enable the restart of the Zulti South project in March, extending the mine’s life to 2050 and supporting RBM’s long-term operational continuity,” the company said in a statement.
Rio Tinto chief commercial officer Bold Baatar said Duvenhage had achieved “a great deal” during his 13 years with the company.
“Most recently, he has been instrumental in guiding RBM through a particularly challenging period with resilience and integrity. He is justifiably held in high esteem by our employees and partners, and his leadership has helped put RBM on a more stable footing for the future,” Baatar said.
“We are very grateful for his contribution and commitment to Rio Tinto and RBM, and I wish him every success in the next chapter of his career.”
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