Retirement

SouthernEra Announces Retirement of Mr. Stan Westcott

 

    Shares Issued and Outstanding: 61,674,459

    TSX: SUF

    AIM: SRE

 

    TORONTO, Aug. 5 /CNW/ - SouthernEra Resources Limited today announced the

retirement of Mr. Stan Westcott, manager of the Messina Platinum Mine. Mr.

Dave Betton, currently engineering manager, has been appointed the acting mine

manager.

    Mr. Westcott joined SouthernEra out of retirement in mid-2001 on a two-

year contract. Under his leadership the Phase 1 mine at Messina Platinum was

successfully commissioned in September 2002 and last June achieved its first

production build-up target of 40,000 tonnes per month.

    Mr. Dave Betton has been engineering manager at Messina Platinum since

mid-2001. Prior to joining Messina Platinum, he was engineering manager at the

Notham Platinum Mine (1992-2001); engineering manager at the West Driefontein

Gold Mine (1987 -1992); resident engineer at the Greenside Colliery (1986-

1987); chief engineer at the Zinc Corporation of South Africa (1984-1986);

assistant resident engineer at the East Driefontein Gold Mine (1980-1984) and

junior engineer at the Venterspost Gold Mine (1978-1980). Mr. Betton is a

professional certificated engineer, a past president of the Association of

Mine Resident Engineers and a council member of the Association of Mine

resident Engineers.

 

    SouthernEra Resources is an independent producer of platinum group metals

and diamonds. The company also has an extensive platinum group metal and

diamond exploration program. The common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock

Exchange and the London Stock Exchange's AIM market.

 

 

    For further information: PLEASE CONTACT: SouthernEra Resources Limited,

Dr. Sally Eyre, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Telephone: [phone],

Fax: [phone], E-mail: inbox(at)southernera.com, www.southernera.com

    (SUF. SRE)