PAMODZI Gold's main creditors may be in for some good news if a deal between Aurora Empowerment Systems and a Chinese mining company goes ahead.

Aurora chairperson Khulubuse Zuma and non-executive director Michael Hulley are expected to return today from a trip to Beijing, where they have spent the best part of the week negotiating a deal for the Chinese company to buy a stake in Aurora.

Nelson Mandela's grandson Zondwa is managing director of Aurora Empowerment Systems.

The deal, said Pamodzi Gold joint liquidator Enver Motala, was based on the Chinese company, which cannot yet be named, buying a 65percent stake worth R700million in Aurora.

This would mean the Chinese company would take over operations at Aurora mines. Aurora spokesperson Solly Bhana said yesterday the public could expect a "very, very positive statement" from Zuma and Hulley, either this evening or tomorrow morning, about the funding from China.

Aurora, he said, will begin sending employees at its Grootvlei mine in Springs home - with their wages paid.

Bhana said immigrant workers, who are mainly from Lesotho and Mozambique, would be the first to leave, followed by "local" employees affiliated to NUM. Solidarity union members working on the care and maintenance programme would be the last to be paid.

"When they are ready to start (operations), we will call them back to work again," Bhana said.

But Solidarity's Gideon du Plessis was skeptical, saying "there is nothing that will come of that. I promise you".