VANCOUVER, Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Anooraq Resources Corporation ("Anooraq" or the "Company") (TSXV: ARQ; NYSE Amex: ANO; JSE: ARQ) announces the following changes to Anooraq's board of directors (the "Board") the resignation of Wayne Kirk as independent non-executive director; and the appointment of Patrick Cooke as independent non-executive director.

The Board has accepted Mr Kirk's resignation as a non-executive director of Anooraq, and is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Cooke as a non-executive director with effect from 1 February 2012.

Patrick Cooke (B.Comm (Wits), CA (SA)), received his chartered accountant designation in South Africa in 1981. As a Chartered Accountant he worked as a management consultant with a large accounting firm as well as working for a merchant bank. Mr. Cooke was responsible for listing two companies on the main board of JSE Limited ("JSE") and was the financial director of a third JSE listed company.  His industry experience is wide, having been involved in mineral information technology, wholesale fast moving consumer goods, financial services and professional services companies. He was appointed a non-executive director of Sallies Limited in October 2009 and, with effect from February 1, 2010, was appointed Financial Director, Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer. He resigned from all positions at Sallies Limited with effect from January 2012.

Mr. Cooke has been the chairman of the Bokoni Platinum Holdings (Pty) Limited audit committee for the past two years.

The Board composition post the above changes, is as follows: 






    Director                  Designation            Qualification

    Tumelo Motsisi            Executive chairman     BA, LLM, MBA
                              and director

    Harold Motaung            Chief executive        BSc, MBA
                              officer

    Fikele Tebogo De Buck     Non-executive          FCCA (UK)
                              director

    Anu Dhir                  Non-executive          BA, JD
                              director

    Sipho Nkosi               Non-executive          BCom, MBA
                              director

    Rizelle Sampson           Non-executive          HDip Education
                              director

    Patrick Cooke             Independent            B.Comm (Wits), CA(SA)
                              non-executive
                              director

Note: As per the Notice of Annual General Meeting and Management information circular dated 24 May 2011, Mr. Ronald Thiessen did not stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 22 June 2011.

Johannesburg
31 January 2012

JSE Sponsor
Macquarie First South Capital (Pty) Limited

Issued on behalf of Anooraq Resources Corporation

Additional Information
Patrick Randal Cooke, aged 59, is currently a director of the following companies:

Great Basin Gold Limited

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The NYSE Amex has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

SOURCE Anooraq Resources Corporation