Rustenburg - The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was totally opposed to the sale of the Kimberley Mines by De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM) in Kimberley, the union said on Monday.
Acting NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said De Beers announced in September last year that it was always looking into three options - closure of the mine in 2018, looking at other mining methods to extend the life beyond 2018, or selling the mine to a third party which could mine profitably beyond 2018.
“The company failed to consult the NUM branch before announcing the sale of the mine. DBCM failed to prove that they have explored and exhausted all avenues which prove that the mine is unprofitable beyond 2018, with reference to the Mine Works Programme (MWP) which estimated the lifespan of the mine to be until 2032,” Mammburu said.
ANA