 James West was appointed as the first manager and was later succeeded by Walter Stanley Whitworth in 1896.Whitworth was a qualified civil engineer and was only meant to stay in Koffiefontein for two years while constructing the railways however, he became an influential figure and remained in Koffiefontein for over 60 years.Whitworth released a weekly letter about the Koffyfontein mine to London for approximately forty years.