Sibanye-Stillwater doubts it will become owner of world’s deepest gold mine

He intends to buy as much as 1.5 billion pounds (about$2 billion) worth of additional Anglo American shares.

Speculative frenzy not entirely supported by fundamentals.

The miner warned further reductions could be in store at those operations, which employ 31,000 people.

The South African mines ministry has told platinum miner Lonmin that it failed to meet some of its social and labour obligations, the producer said on Tuesday, but added it did not think its operating licence was in jeopardy.

Mines minister Mosebenzi Zwane had pledged in writing to a court that he would not publicly say changes to an industry charter were "law" until a judicial challenge has been completed.

South Africa holds the world's biggest reserves of platinum, chrome and manganese, but investment in the sector has dropped in each of the past two years as a result of increasing legal uncertainty and labour disputes.

Official figures released on Thursday signall a bad start for the second half of the year with business confidence at its lowest in more than three decades.

A rise in refined supply (despite a 9% dip in mine-level output) and a drop in automotive and industrial demand erases Q1's 305,000-ounce deficit.

The miner, South Africa’s largest gold producer, said that in the absence of a dividend, it’ll give investors two new shares for every 100 held.