Wiseman Khuzwayo

Glencore and Shanduka’s Umcebo Mining operation in Mpumalanga may have hit a snag on an urgent application by two farmworkers who are applying for an interdict against operations they claim are damaging their homes.

The application, by farmworkers Ngidi Braai Sibanyoni and Brawanza John Suahatsi, relates to higher compensation for the evacuation from the site where blasting operations are now a mere 500m from their homes.

Umcebo Mining has offered to relocate the workers and their families but they object to the sizes of the houses.

They claim the walls of their current dwellings are collapsing because of the impact of blasting. They also said the roof of a house was shattered after a flying rock damaged it.

Umcebo Mining is jointly owned by Shanduka and Glencore, the largest publicly traded commodities trader.

Shanduka is owned by Cyril Ramaphosa, a leading figure in the ANC, who presided over the appeal by the organisation’s youth league president, Julius Malema, against his suspension.

Glencore is controlled by commodities trader and entrepreneur Marc Rich.

According to Wikipedia, Rich was indicted in the US on federal charges for illegally making oil deals with Iran during the Iran hostage crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and tax evasion.

He was in Switzerland at the time of the indictment and he never returned to the US.

He subsequently received a pardon from US President Bill Clinton on January 20, 2001, Clinton’s last day in office.

Umcebo says that halting operations would be too costly.

The company first offered the applicants R2 500 for relocation but has surprisingly upped that to R50 000, although it maintains it has no obligation to provide the applicants with accommodation as the occupants of the land.

A building expert has reportedly confirmed that the structures are shoddy.

The applicants and their families are apparently prepared to move, provided there are sufficient houses.

But Umcebo has made a counter application that the workers be evacuated within three days.

Everything is now in the balance after Judge Yoliswa Sidlova ordered that both parties negotiate further on the matter in order to find a solution. The judge also said she might have to do an inspection of the houses to which Umcebo planned to relocate the applicants.

The matter has been postponed indefinitely.