Moyahabo Mabeba
When a Facebook post invited job seekers to apply for jobs at a mine, it seemed like the answer to the prayers of many who are desperate to find employment.
The post said there were jobs available at the Anglo American Platinum Mine in the Mogalakwena area in Limpopo.
Not even the cold and wet conditions could dampen the spirits of the job seekers who streamed to the mine in their hundreds – some qualified, some just trying their luck. Some walked kilometres to get to the mine while others arrived in trucks in the early hours of the morning.
But it turned out it was just a scam – a cruel social media joke.
“When I saw the advert I didn’t suspect anything,” said Mokgadi Masenya, who has never had a job in her life.
“The first thing I did was to get all the documents and make sure they were in order. I walked for about 40 minutes and found a huge crowd of job seekers who jostled for space at the mine gate.”
But her hopes were soon dashed.
“A big truck came with a loudhailer to inform us that the job vacancies do not exist. We were so disappointed,” she said.
Mabitsela Mogano, 30, said he has been looking for a job since 2018.
“I have never seen so many people being disappointed by one common thing. It was a sad situation. The people had sacrificed a lot to be there,” he said.
“We spent money preparing the necessary documents for nothing. You could see the disappointment on people’s faces because someone is playing silly games on social media.”
On Monday, the mining company released a statement warning job seekers about the scam.
“Community members are cautioned of a fake Facebook post indicating that there are job opportunities at Anglo-American Platinum labour desk. All Anglo American platinum vacancies are advertised on www.Anglo-American.com and the labour desk is also used to advertise and receive applications for contractor opportunities,” the statement read.
“As of today there are no job opportunities at Anglo-American Platinum labour desk.”
