Liberty Coal has signalled an aggressive turnaround strategy at Optimum Colliery, placing operational control in the hands of its newly appointed mining contractor and backing the recovery with major capital investment—including a dragline restoration costing more than R400-million—as it targets a return to what it calls the mine’s “historic position” as one of South Africa’s premier coal producers.
In a statement issued on Friday, Liberty Coal confirmed it appointed Liberty Mine Services (LMS) in November 2025 as the “principal independent mining contractor” at Optimum Colliery, positioning the contractor as the core execution engine of the mine’s recovery plan.
The company said the operational transition has already been paired with workforce stabilisation, after LMS finalised the onboarding of about 540 employees taken over from Salaria, which is in business rescue, under Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act.
Combination of expansion and refurbishment
Liberty Coal said the next phase of the strategy would combine expansion and refurbishment, with LMS set to embark on a “progressive employment drive” in 2026 aligned with Liberty Coal’s planned expansion into dragline and underground operations, a move expected to create about 500 additional employment opportunities.
The announcement underscores the ongoing role of coal mining in South Africa’s employment landscape, even as the country faces international pressure to transition toward cleaner energy sources.
The company also linked job creation to a broader capital programme at the mine, saying several major projects are underway as part of the refurbishment of Optimum’s infrastructure and facilities, which it expects will generate further work and local business opportunities.
“Overall, some 2 000 people are anticipated to be actively engaged in works at Optimum Colliery by the end of 2026,” Liberty Coal said.
New and exciting chapter begins
Central to the turnaround plan is a new fleet of heavy-duty mining equipment, which Liberty Coal said will be utilised by LMS to support the recovery and ramp-up production.
The company said the first shipment of its “brand-new fleet of heavy-duty mining machinery, equipment and vehicles” was delivered in December 2025, with the balance due by March 2026—the same month the newly restored Marion 8200 MDO3 dragline is expected to start operating.
Liberty Coal chief executive Hlayiseka Chauke described the appointment of LMS as “a new and exciting chapter” in the mine’s fortunes and potentially “the most significant catalyst” in returning Optimum to sustainable profitability.
Chauke said Liberty Coal and its operations teams intend to work closely with LMS and its management to achieve the company’s objective of restoring Optimum Colliery to its “historic position as one of South Africa’s premier producing coal mines”.
