Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited: Gold Fields Management's Strategy is in Disarray
23 November 2004 - 6:37AM
PR Newswire (US)
Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited: Gold Fields Management's
Strategy is in Disarray JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Nov. 22
/PRNewswire/ -- Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE: "HMY";
JSE: "HAR") notes that Gold Fields (NYSE: "GFI"; JSE: "GFI") has
conceded that some of its own shareholders have reservations about
and consequently are likely to reject management's proposed IAMGold
transaction. Predictably, this confirmation has been accompanied by
Gold Fields circulating alternative strategies which Harmony
believes appear to have both major issues of implementation and the
potential to be even more value-destructive than the proposed
IAMGold transaction. Harmony believes that an outright disposal of
Gold Fields' international assets for cash would be contrary to the
Gold Fields' board's long stated strategy of diversification and
growth, would reduce shareholders exposure to gold, swapping ounces
for cash, and, in a fire-sale atmosphere, could ultimately be
significantly value-destructive. Furthermore, Gold Fields has
suggested that cash raised could be used to buy back Norilsk's
shares. In the absence of a competing offer for the whole of Gold
Fields, shareholders should be aware that such a buy back is
precluded by the irrevocable undertaking between Harmony and
Norilsk during the Harmony offer. Under the terms of the Securities
Regulation Panel Code, either of these proposals would constitute
frustrating action and would therefore require the approval of
shareholders in general meeting. Harmony believes that this
speculation is being allowed to circulate by a board who are
resorting to a strategy that appears to be in disarray and has
little merit or substance. Harmony wishes to ensure that what it
believes to be desperate tactics do not distract you from the real
and certain value proposition inherent within Harmony's proposal to
create the world's largest gold mining company. Harmony believes
that its proposed merger also offers a full and fair, upfront
premium, as well as the opportunity to benefit from real and
sustainable operational cost savings. Harmony reminds Gold Fields
shareholders that shares tendered under the early settlement offer
will still receive the full benefit of any increase in
consideration. Harmony advises you to accept the early settlement
offer, the only actual proposal on the table, as soon as possible.
In connection with the proposed acquisition of Gold Fields, Harmony
has filed a registration statement on Form F-4, which includes a
preliminary prospectus and related exchange offer materials, to
register the Harmony ordinary shares (including Harmony ordinary
shares represented by Harmony American Depositary Shares (ADSs)) to
be issued in exchange for Gold Fields ordinary shares held by Gold
Fields shareholders located in the US and for Gold Fields ADSs held
by Gold Fields shareholders wherever located, as well as a
Statement on Schedule TO. Investors and holders of Gold Fields
securities are strongly advised to read the registration statement
and the preliminary prospectus, the related exchange offer
materials and the final prospectus (when available), the Statement
on Schedule TO and any other relevant documents filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as any amendments
and supplements to those documents, because they will contain
important information. Investors and holders of Gold Fields
securities may obtain free copies of the registration statement,
the preliminary and final prospectus (when available), related
exchange offer materials and the Statement on Schedule TO, as well
as other relevant documents filed or to be filed with the SEC, at
the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov/. The preliminary
prospectus and other transaction-related documents may be obtained
for free from MacKenzie Partners, Inc., the information agent for
the U.S. offer, at the following address: 105 Madison Avenue, New
York, New York 10016; telephone 1 (212) 929 5500 (call collect) or
1 (800) 322 2885 (toll-free call); e-mail . Investors and security
holders may obtain a free copy of the Form 20-F filed with the SEC
on October 5, 2004, as amended, and any other documents filed with
or furnished to the SEC by Harmony at http://www.sec.gov/. This
communication is for information purposes only. It shall not
constitute an offer to purchase or exchange or the solicitation of
an offer to sell or exchange any securities of Gold Fields or an
offer to sell or exchange or the solicitation of an offer to buy or
exchange any securities of Harmony, nor shall there be any sale or
exchange of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to the
registration or qualification under the laws of such jurisdiction.
The distribution of this communication may, in some countries, be
restricted by law or regulation. Accordingly, persons who come into
possession of this document should inform themselves of and observe
these restrictions. The solicitation of offers to buy Gold Fields
ordinary shares (including Gold Fields ordinary shares represented
by Gold Fields ADSs) in the United States will only be made
pursuant to a prospectus and related offer materials that Harmony
expects to send to holders of Gold Fields securities. The Harmony
ordinary shares (including Harmony ordinary shares represented by
Harmony ADSs) may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted,
in the United States prior to the time the registration statement
becomes effective. No offering of securities shall be made in the
United States except by means of a prospectus meeting the
requirements of Section 10 of the United States Securities Act of
1933, as amended. The directors of Harmony accept responsibility
for the information contained in this press release. To the best of
the knowledge and belief of the directors of Harmony (who have
taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the
information contained in this press release is in accordance with
the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of
such information. DATASOURCE: Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited
CONTACT: Ferdi Dippenaar, +27-11-684-0140, mobile: +27-82-807-3684,
or Corne Bobbert, +27-11-684-0146, mobile: +27-83-380-6614, both of
Harmony Gold; or South Africa - Jennifer Cohen, +27-11-214-2401,
mobile: +27-82-468-6469, , or Patrick Lawlor, +27-11-214-2410,
mobile: +27-82-459 6709, , both of Beachhead Media & Investor
Relations; or United States - Hollis Rafkin-Sax, +1-212-850-5789,
mobile: +1-917-509-0255, ; or Torie Pennington, +1-212-850-5629,
mobile: +1-917-838-1369, ; or United Kingdom - Nic Bennett,
+44-207-269-7115, mobile: +44-7979-536-619, , or Charles Watenphul,
+44-207-269-7216, mobile: +44-7866-438-013, , all for Financial
Dynamics Business Communications; or US Information Agent - Daniel
Burch, +1-212-929-5500, , or Steve Balet, +1-800-322-2885, both of
MacKenzie Partners, Inc, all for Harmony Gold Mining Company
Limited
Copyright