Shanduka Urges S. African Platinum Against Mechanizing

Companies that buy operations put up for sale by Anglo American Platinum Ltd. after a pay strike by South African mineworkers will need to coexist with labor unions rather than mechanize the operations, said the chief executive officer of Shanduka Group, which owns stakes in platinum mines.

Anglo American Platinum, the Johannesburg-based unit of Anglo known as Amplats, said last month that it will sacrifice its status as the world’s biggest producer of the precious metal by seeking buyers for four mines and possibly stakes in two joint ventures after first-half profit fell 88 percent because of a five-month strike. The company employed almost 50,000 people at the end of last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.