Celani Sikhakhane
Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe has condemned the inhumane treatment of striking mine workers by the Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC).
Minister Mantashe told Scrolla.Africa that ZAC management had committed a crime when it cut off oxygen supplies in its mine shafts on Wednesday to force out 75 striking miners.
“It was inhumane and we don’t condone it. I know that the strike was illegal but the treatment of those who were underground is totally inhumane,” said Mantashe.
Upwards of 75 miners staged a sit-in on 14 April after ZAC, known locally as Okhukho, refused to reinstate workers’ benefits that had been taken away in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.
On 19 April, ZAC attempted to put an end to the strike by hiring a private security company, Van Damme, to prevent strikers’ loved ones from bringing them food and water.
After this failed to end the sit-in, local police entered the mine at midnight on Tuesday, but the workers said they knew the system of tunnels better than the cops and were able to hide from them deep in the mines.
After this failed, ZAC management cut off oxygen supplies to the mines, and at 3pm on Wednesday, all 75 miners emerged from the shaft.
On Thursday, ZAC General Manager Wayne Rowe told workers that the company will start to negotiate their demands in September but they must all come back to work from Friday.
He also offered workers a new R200,000 death benefit should they die in the mines.
The strikers, unsatisfied with his proposal, demanded confirmation that their benefits, which include medical aid and rural benefits, will be reinstated before they come back to work. They vowed to continue the strike.
When contacted for comment ZAC’s BEE partner Jerome Ngwenya who is also the Ingonyama Trust Board chairperson asked our reporter to call him back but ignored our calls when we did.
Scrolla.Africa also sent a list of questions to Menar Holdings which owns ZAC.
Siphiwe Tame acknowledged receipt of our email and promised to go through the questions and let us know if the company will be able to respond or not.
Tame later responded and promised to send a statement once it’s ready. Menar Holdings had not responded to our questions by the time of publication.
