The two firms weighing rival bids are said to be Chinalco Mining Corp International, a subsidiary of China's state-run aluminum group, and Hong Kong-listed MMG Ltd.
Iron ore, molybdenum and nickel are the main commodities executives see as having the highest likelihood of depreciating in value over the next three years.
Today's death sparked fears of a repeat of last year’s violent unrest that left dozens of deaths and effectively shut down the country's platinum belt.
