Ivanhoe Mines rejects recycled, unsubstantiated and false claims made by AfriForum
May 9, 2018
STATEMENT
Ivanhoe Mines rejects recycled, unsubstantiated and false claims
made by AfriForum
VANCOUVER, CANADA – The following statement by Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX:
IVPAF) has been issued in response to a Media Statement published on May 8, 2018, by
AfriForum, a South Africa-based organization, containing false and unsubstantiated allegations
concerning the Platreef mine being developed by Ivanplats, Ivanhoe’s 64%-owned South
African subsidiary, and the repetition of those statements in an article by Geoffrey York
published online by the Globe and Mail newspaper.
The false and unsubstantiated claims made by AfriForum follow a similar pattern of deliberate
misinformation that has been disseminated regarding the Platreef mine development project.
Ivanhoe Mines will again correct and restate the facts for the benefit of shareholders, the
media and the public at large as it has done previously on February 2, 2017; December 5,
2016; June 7, 2016; May 19, 2016; November 26, 2014; and October 8, 2014. The links to
Ivanhoe Mines’ prior statements can be found at the end of this Statement.
The allegations made by AfriForum and South African lawyer Gerrie Nel are completely false
and aimed solely at unjustly damaging the reputation of Ivanhoe Mines and its subsidiary,
Ivanplats. Ivanhoe Mines and Ivanplats categorically reject all of the allegations made today.
Mr. Nel unfortunately has accepted the discredited views of Aubrey Langa apparently without
any investigation or independent review. Mr. Langa previously has been convicted by South
African courts of furnishing false information, robbery and attempted murder. Mr. Langa is
recognized only for waging what one prominent South African newspaper has described as his
“single-minded campaign” against the Platreef mine through whatever misinformation is
available to him.
Ivanhoe Mines is a broadly held, Toronto Stock Exchange-listed public company. Ivanplats is a
South Africa-based subsidiary company that is 64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines, 26%-owned by
South African broad-based black economic empowerment partners – including 20% belonging
to 20 local communities with a combined population of approximately 150,000, 3% in the
hands of historically disadvantaged project employees and a further 3% held by local
entrepreneurs. The final 10% is owned by a Japanese consortium. The Platreef mine will
create thousands of direct and indirect jobs through the construction and production phases
and provide tremendous economic and social benefits to the local communities and
surrounding region in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
2
AfriForum appears to have ignored Ivanhoe Mines’ well-documented past discrediting of Mr.
Langa’s allegations. In recent months Ivanplats also had made several attempts to reach Mr.
Nel to ascertain whether he is representing Mr. Langa, with a view to meeting and discussing
the issues and allegations raised today. Instead, Mr. Nel and AfriForum chose to issue their
statement today solely on the basis of Mr. Langa’s unsubstantiated, false and already
discredited allegations.
Ivanhoe Mines and Ivanplats at all times have complied with all legal requirements relating to
the exploration, development and construction of the Platreef mine. The allegation that they
have engaged in illegal mining, breached environmental laws and unlawfully relocated graves,
among other allegations, are completely false. Ivanplats has been vindicated by the South
African courts against Mr. Langa on a number of these claims in the past. Ivanplats did obtain
all the necessary permissions to relocate certain graves and reached detailed agreements with
all affected families, including a provision for all cultural and religious observances.
A summary of the grave-relocation process is provided in Ivanhoe Mines’ 2017 Sustainability
Report, on page 52, available at: https://www.ivanhoemines.com/investors/sustainability-
report/.
No government agencies in South Africa have taken any adverse legal steps against Ivanplats,
despite having been subjected to a significant number of investigations instigated by Mr.
Langa. If Mr. Langa’s and now AfriForum’s allegations had any basis in fact or law, this would
not have been the result; yet Mr. Langa and Mr. Nel now continue to waste state resources
with these continuing allegations that already have been proven false. There is simply nothing
new in AfriForum’s allegations made today other than the use of Mr. Nel to provide a façade of
credibility to discredited claims.
Ivanhoe Mines does encourage Mr. Nel and AfriForum to undertake a very careful and detailed
review of the Platreef project development. Doing so will confirm that Ivanplats has
painstakingly and carefully proceeded through the development process in an entirely lawful
manner and has received all required permits and approvals. In addition, Ivanplats has been
sensitive to the needs of the local host communities and has extensively consulted with those
communities and their traditional leadership structures in moving the Platreef project through
the permitting and development process.
Ivanhoe Mines is confident that the overwhelming majority of people in the host communities
support the development of the Platreef mine. The company will not be held hostage by a
small group of self-serving agitators whose agenda and conduct are contrary to the majority
interests of the local communities that will benefit from the jobs and socio-economic
development that will flow from the development of a major new underground, mechanized
platinum mine.
3
Prior statements
1. October 8, 2014
https://www.ivanhoemines.com/news/2014/ivanhoe-mines-responds-to-misinformed-and-
damaging-comments-contained-in-bloomberg-story/
2. November 26, 2014
https://www.ivanhoemines.com/news/2014/ivanhoe-mines-condemns-illegal-actions-by-known-
trouble-makers-in-incident-near-the-platreef-project-in-south-africa/
3. May 19, 2016
https://www.ivanhoemines.com/news/2016/ivanhoe-mines-condemns-promotion-of-false-and-
dishonest-claims-by-mining-watch-canada/
4. June 7, 2016
https://www.ivanhoemines.com/news/2016/opencanada-website-flouts-reporting-standards-to-
recycle-untrue-and-defamatory-activist-claims-against-ivanhoe-mines-and/
5. December 5, 2016
https://www.ivanhoemines.com/news/2016/ivanhoe-mines-says-globe-and-mail-readers-are-
being-misled-by-the-newspapers-story-today-about-the-companys-platreef-project/
6. February 2, 2017
https://www.ivanhoemines.com/news/2017/ivanhoe-mines-welcomes-ruling-today-by-south-
african-judge-in-favour-of-ivanplats-that-overturns-an-interim-interdict-order/
Information contacts
Investors Media
Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 North America: Bob Williamson +1.604.512.4856
South Africa: Jeremy Michaels +27.82.772.1122
Website www.ivanhoemines.com