Situation tense at Gold One Mine as 400 miners remain underground. Picture: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers.
The situation remains tense at the Gold One Modder East Mine in Springs, Ekurhuleni, where more than 400 workers have reportedly staged a sit-in underground since Thursday night.
According to National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) regional organiser, Victor Ngwane, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, who was at the mine on Saturday and yesterday, has called on the police to intervene in the matter.
“The situation has escalated and (Mantashe) has handed over the matter to the police for them to intervene. One of the employees was badly assaulted and stripped naked. We fear that things will get worse,” Ngwane told The Star.
It is reported that the latest sit-in is in protest against the mine’s decision to retrench 70 employees who were alleged to have been involved in the October hostage drama at the mine. Among the more than 400 employees trapped underground are 70 middle managers and contractors.
According to media reports, the miners were being held hostage by a group of unidentified people clad in balaclavas.
Speaking to the SABC, the mine’s head of legal, Ziyaad Hassam, said the latest sit-in and hostage situation had been orchestrated from within again.
“Clearly there are a number of people who had planned to stage a sit-in. But there is a large number of people who are being kept underground against their will. That includes miners, middle managers and contractors.
“Shortly after the commencement of the night shift, it became apparent that employees who were underground were not going to come out. There’s a small group of people in balaclavas. So, we don’t know their identity, but they are holding the rest of the employees against their will.
“Some will be sitting in solidarity, but a large number, we are told, are being held against their will. At least 70 out of the 447 employees are middle management or contractors. They are certainly being held against their will.
“Two employees escaped in the early hours of this morning and they have confirmed that people are being held against their will,” Hassam added.
Ngwane said one hostage was released and found bruised and battered underground.
"The information we have is that they’re assaulting people underground. There’s one miner that came to the surface beaten and assaulted.“
ActionSA provincial chairperson Funzi Ngobeni has called for the mine management to resolve the matter urgently.
“ActionSA demands that Gold One Mine management tend to the 430 workers who have staged an underground sit-in to avoid any loss of life. For over 35 hours, workers have been without food and medication. This follows the dismissal of 74 workers and the suspension of 84 others,” he said.
Two months ago, during the first sit-in underground, NUM terminated its close-shop agreement at the mine after a car belonging to a former NUM shop steward Prince Radebe was burnt.
At the time, the sit-in was said to have been orchestrated by rival union the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) in a bid to force the mine to recognise it as a union.
Amcu’s regional representative, Musa Khalipha, distanced the union from the latest sit-in, saying Amcu was not recognised as the union at the mine.
He said the latest sit-in was triggered by the recent retrenchment of 70 employees.
“We believe that this sit-in is due to the retrenchment of 70 employees which has resulted in more than 400 employees still being underground. No one has come up yet and we are not sure if they have been receiving food or not,” he said.
The Star
siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za
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