Dalphine Tagwireyi
An activist from Delmas in Mpumalanga was abducted and badly beaten for demanding equal business opportunities on Wednesday, leaving him with cuts and bruises all over his body.
Thabo Mashabela had been part of a protest held by the community in Delmas at the mine run by Mbuyelo Coal to protest the unequal opportunities for workers.
Two of the targets of the protests were businessmen Henry Masilela of Gossa Holdings and Isaac Mathe because they have been accused of being the automatic recipients of any tenders offered by Mbuyelo Coal. This, the protestors claim, had unfairly left many workers out in the cold.
“We had engaged in a peaceful protest as we had submitted our concerns to Mbuyelo Mine asking why community members were left out of opportunities that were clearly given to a select few,” said Mashabela.
However, during the demonstration, Mashabela was abducted.
“I was forced into a car and driven around while they assaulted me with whips and guns, demanding to know who had sent me to protest.”
Mashabela said he feared for his life and lied to the group of men that certain community leaders paid him to stage the protest.
“After telling them I wasn’t the mastermind, they engaged in a discussion and they started shooting a video demanding that I repeat what I had said regarding community members,” he said.
In the video, seen by Scrolla.Africa, Masilela is heard repeatedly asking Mashabela to clear his name, as he was not part of the gang that abducted and assaulted him.
Both Mathe and Masilela have denied assaulting Mashabela. They said a case has been opened against them and they are unable to comment.
The pair are accused by the community of gate-keeping and awarding opportunities to their associate entrepreneurs to provide services at the mine.
Mbuyelo Coal Mine representative Jenny Modise said that they are still sorting out issues and can only have a solid answer once an outcome has been reached.
Delmas SAPS Captain Hartley said that a case of kidnapping and assault had been opened and investigations are still underway.
Image source: BusinessLive
