Murray & Roberts - Announcement And Business Update

Murray & Roberts - Announcement And Business Update                             
Murray & Roberts Holdings Limited                                               
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)                                  
Registration number 1948/029826/06                                              
JSE Share Code: MUR                                                             
ISIN Code: ZAE000073441                                                         
("Murray & Roberts" or "the Group")                                             
ANNOUNCEMENT AND BUSINESS UPDATE                                                
Shareholders are advised that following a rearrangement of executive            
responsibility in the Group"s SADC construction activities, Stephen Pell,       
director of Murray & Roberts Limited and member of the Murray & Roberts         
Executive Committee, has stepped down as managing director of Murray & Roberts  
Construction with effect from 31 December 2005.                                 
Executive director Sean Flanagan, who holds corporate responsibility for Murray 
& Roberts Construction, has been appointed interim chief executive of the       
company with specific focus on the South African market. Sean will continue with
his corporate responsibility for Murray & Roberts Cementation and his leadership
involvement in the Bombela joint venture for the Gautrain Project.              
A formal selection process will identify and appoint an appropriate successor as
managing director of Murray & Roberts Construction for the future of this       
important business.                                                             
In addition to his existing responsibilities, executive director Keith Smith    
assumes corporate responsibility for the Group"s construction operations in     
Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania in addition to his responsibility for the Group"s
investment in Murray & Roberts Zimbabwe.  Keith will also assume corporate      
responsibility for Concor on completion of the acquisition.                     
Murray & Roberts Construction experienced a difficult first-half to the current 
financial year, following a below-par performance in the previous year to 30    
June 2005. Two building contracts in Tanzania and Botswana in particular have   
not delivered to expectation compounded by continuing difficulties in the       
Western Cape market.  Notwithstanding this, operating profits in the Group are  
expected to increase in both the half-year and full year relative to the        
previous reporting periods.                                                     
Corporate activity over the past year has resulted in increased finance costs   
and minorities, which combined with a significant reduction in associate        
earnings relative to the previous year, will reduce growth in headline earnings 
relative to the above levels of growth in operating profit.  Although some      
uncertainty still exists in the associate contribution from Clough, Murray &    
Roberts remains of the view that the Group will deliver real growth in headline 
earnings per share for the full financial year, prior to any accounting         
adjustment attributable to the Group"s broad-based black economic empowerment   
transaction (refer SENS announcement of 2005/12/19).                            
Johannesburg                                                                    
13 January 2006                                                                 
Sponsor:                                                                        
Merrill Lynch South Africa (Pty) Ltd                                            
Date: 13/01/2006 02:59:09 PM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
Produced by the JSE SENS Department