The company's South African operations accounted for approximately 32 percent of total group production during the first half of the year, it said. Prior to this dismissal process, approximately 35,000 people were employed across AngloGold Ashanti's South African operations. Tens of thousands of miners have staged wildcat strikes in South Africa over the past three months, affecting gold and platinum output. Violent strikes at Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine saw more than 40 killed, and the company says the nearly six weeks of strikes affected the company's production and led to its decision to restructure. Lonmin reached a deal with its miners that awarded them pay increases of up to 22 percent. The Lonmin strikes and negotiations spread to other mines in the past few months.