SIBANYE-Stillwater said its head of gold operations, Shadwick Bessit, passed away from Covid-19 related complications on January 16.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the tragic passing of Shadwick, who has been an example of a mindful leader,” said Neal Froneman, CEO of Sibanye-Stillwater said in a statement. “We mourn the loss of a dear colleague, a leader, and a highly valued member of the senior leadership team.”
William Osae, currently senior vice-president of technical Services of the gold operations, has been appointed head in the interim in order to ensure operational continuity and the ongoing focus on safe production, the company said.
The Minerals Council of South Africa described Bessit as “… a passionate and dedicated member of the Minerals Council Board … It is a tragedy that his life was cut short”.
Bessit previously worked at AngloGold Ashanti before moving to Impala Platinum where he was GM and served as the executive director for operations from 2005 to 2010.
He then moved to Gold Fields in 2012 and after the unbundling of its South African mines in Sibanye, climbed the ranks at Sibanye-Stillwater, becoming senior vice-president of the underground operations at Kloof and Driefontein and senior vice president of the Kroondal and Rustenburg operations.
He leaves behind his wife and three children.
South African has reported 37,449 deaths from Covid-19 to date. Infections in the country total 1.35 million of which there have been 1.12 million recoveries.
