Jobs at Pamodzi Gold East Rand are secure under its new owner Aurora Empowerment Systems, the chief liquidator of Pamodzi Gold's assets said on Wednesday.

Enver Motala said Aurora would not retrench any of the 3800 permanent employees of Pamodzi Gold East Rand and its associated companies.

Aurora had been formally selected as the preferred bidder, he said in a statement.

This was subject to "formal and unconditional approval" from the majority representative trade union, the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and the minority representative trade unions Solidarity, UASA and STEMCWU (Steel Mining and Commercial Workers Union), he said.

The unions concerned had in principle conditionally supported the selection of the preferred bidder, subject to that bidder engaging in a consultative process with the unions, Motala said.