December 08, 2009 Rockwell Appoints Processing Plant and Financial Managers For Its Northern Cape Operations
December 8, 2009, Vancouver, B.C. -- Rockwell Diamonds Inc. ("Rockwell" or the "Company") (TSX: RDI; JSE: RDI; OTCBB: RDIAF) announces the appointment of Hans Gastrow as Operations Manager -- Processing and Recovery Plant to oversee and optimize its diamond processing and recovery plants, and Johan Oosthuizen as Financial Manager responsible for financial oversight and planning at the Company's operations near Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa.
Hans Gastrow is a registered professional mining engineer with broad engineering, operational, and managerial experience and skills in diamond mining in South Africa. In the 33 years that he worked with De Beers Consolidated Mines in South Africa, he was involved in open pit mining, underground operations, management of new projects, and improvements to processing and diamond extraction at several De Beers mines. Over his diamond career, he had considerable involvement in processing, extraction and final recovery plant development, recovery audit and optimization procedures, operational enhancement systems, and health and safety procedures. He also gained widespread exposure to the mining, geology, and evaluation of diamond deposits as well as extensive management experience including 15 years spent as General Manager at various De Beers diamond mining operations including the Koffiefontein, Kimberley, Venetia, and Cullinan Mines.
He graduated in 1971 with a B.Sc. Eng in mining and also obtained a Graduate Diploma in Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and later completed an Executive Development Program through the Gordon Institute of Business Science in Johannesburg.
Rockwell has acquired the services of Hans Gastrow on a contract basis for an initial six months, whereafter the Parties may mutually agree to Hans becoming an employee of the Company.
Johan Oosthuizen is an accountant with extensive business experience in mining, manufacturing, and the financial sector. He served with Eskom Pension and Provident Fund, the benefit fund of South Africa's electricity utility, as General Manager of Finance and Administration for 12 years to 1998. He was a member of the management team contributing to the strategic direction and growth of Eskom's privately managed benefit fund, which was the second largest in the country. He consulted on accounting solutions, financial management, corporate structuring, and taxation until joining the De Beers Group in 2003. He was initially a financial analyst with De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited and following restructuring, assumed the role of finance business partner to the Technical Division of De Beers Group Services (Pty) Limited. His was responsible for the financial business support on both planning, operational and project management levels in the Technology, Engineering, Metallurgy, Mineral Resource Management services and skills offering, R & D, and manufacturing/trading environment. Responsibilities included business model analysis, planning, control, evaluation, monthly, quarterly and annual consolidations and reporting to Board and Compliance Agencies.
Johan holds a B.Comm degree from the Rand Afrikaans University (1979), an Honours B Compt (1988) and a Certificate in the Theory of Accounting (CTA) (1989) from the University of South Africa.
President and CEO John Bristow stated "We are pleased to have acquired the services of two individuals with in-depth knowledge of the diamond mining business. Hans Gastrow's experience in diamond plant and extraction systems and management practices, and the hands-on approach and accounting skills of Johan Oosthuizen at the operational level will add depth to our operational and management teams. We look forward to the contributions and benefits that these gentlemen will bring to Rockwell."
For further details on Rockwell Diamonds Inc., please visit the Company's website at ww.rockwelldiamonds.com or contact Investor Services at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114.
John Bristow President and CEO
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