African Oxygen Limited - Unsolicited Bid Made For The Boc Group - Press Release

African Oxygen Limited - Unsolicited Bid Made For The Boc Group - Press Release 
African Oxygen Limited                                                          
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)                                  
(Registration number 1927/000089/06)                                            
JSE  code: AFX                                                                  
NSX code: AOX                                                                   
ISIN: ZAE000067120                                                              
("Afrox" or "the company" or "the Group")                                       
UNSOLICITED BID MADE FOR THE BOC GROUP                                          
The BOC Group plc, which owns an effective 56 percent in African Oxygen Limited 
(Afrox) made the following external announcement today.                         
"The BOC Group plc (BOC) notes the recent movement in its share price and       
confirms that it received an unsolicited, preliminary proposal from Linde AG.   
The proposal was subject to a number of pre-conditions including financing,     
 anti-trust approvals and due diligence. The Board of BOC has met together with 
its advisors and unanimously rejected the proposal because of its pre-conditions
and its failure to value fully the growth prospects of BOC.                     
"The Directors of BOC state their continuing confidence in the current strategy 
of the group to deliver growth and excellent returns to its shareholders as an  
independent company."                                                           
No further information is available at present. As soon as we have more news we 
will communicate it."                                                           
For further information please contact                                          
Chris Fieldgate on                                                              
(011) 490 0400                                                                  
or 082 495 1481                                                                 
Johannesburg                                                                    
24 January 2006                                                                 
Date: 24/01/2006 05:10:03 PM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
Produced by the JSE SENS Department