Rustenburg – Mining operations at Northam Platinum Limited’s Zondereinde mine in Northam were suspended following violent clashes between rival unions on Monday, the company said.
A mineworker was stabbed to death with assegai on the R510 road between Northam and Thabazimbi on Monday, while another was gunned down at a hiking spot in Northam on Sunday afternoon. The killing on Sunday was believed to have triggered the violence. Two cars were torched.
The violence is apparently between the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
“Management has condemned the violence and has expressed sympathy with the family and colleagues of the deceased employee, while it seeks to assist the family.
“Following this incident, sporadic incidents of intimidation and violence have spread to the mine. Operations at the mine have been temporarily suspended,” the company said.
Limpopo police said two cases of murder, malicious damage to property and public violence were opened.
“POP [ Public Order Police] members fired rubber bullets to disperse the two groups. Currently the situation is back to normal with the R510 road between Northam and Thabazimbi open again for traffic. No arrests yet in the two murder cases,” said police spokesperson Colonel Ronel Otto.
She said no other reports of injuries were received.
“POP members will continue with their patrols in the area.”
The company said a meeting to resolve the situation was held on Monday afternoon.
“Management, the SAPS [South African Police Service] and union leadership will be meeting at the Zondereinde mine this afternoon in an attempt to resolve the current impasse and to ensure that operations resume as soon as is practicably possible, and to ensure safe passage for employees.
“Management urges both NUM and Amcu to exercise leadership following these tragic incidents, and to ensure that union members act responsibly and peacefully in the interests of safety for all.”
The outcome of the meeting was not yet known by 6pm on Monday.
Amcu chairperson in the Northam region, Professor Ludidi said their members were attacked by NUM members on Monday morning.
“We are not sure what are the reasons for this attack,” he said.
He said three people were injured and one was stabbed to death while he was trying to jump over a fence to escape from a group of suspected NUM members.
“A group of NUM members charged at our members who then ran away. They jumped over the fence and one was trapped in the fence and stabbed to death.”
He said a car belonging to an Amcu member who works for Anglo American Platinum’s Dichaba mine was burnt while he was taking a shortcut through Zondereinde to work on Monday.
But NUM deputy president Joseph Montisetse said the NUM was not going to sit idly by while there was a clear intention to attack it.
“Six NUM members were killed in the area since January last year. This is a clear conspiracy to terminate the NUM at Northam Platinum. We are not going to fold hands. We are going to make follow-ups to ensure that those who carried attacks on our members are brought to book,” he said.
The NUM is the majority union at Zondereinde mine, while Amcu has a majority at the Anglo American Platinum mine opposite the road.
“Our members was shot three times on Sunday… the police chased the suspects. Instead of shooting them, the police were reported to have wanted to take photographs of the suspects.”
He said the deceased was an active member of the NUM at Northam Platinum. He was gunned down in Northam at the hiking spot in town around 4pm.
“The deceased was a hostel resident at Northam Platinum. The NUM is not going to reveal the name of the deceased until his family is informed. We call on Northam Platinum and SAPS to expedite the arrest of whoever is responsible for this dastardly act. Northam Platinum must issue a reward to make sure that whoever is responsible is arrested as soon as possible.”
He said they union was deeply hurt by the incident.
“We send our deepest condolences to his colleagues and the family during this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace.”
Amcu toppled NUM as the dominant union in the platinum belt in 2012, following violet wildcat strikes at Lonmin in Marikana, Impala Platinum and Anglo American Platinum in Rustenburg, North West and Northam in Limpopo.
However, Montisetse said the NUM launched a robust recruitment programme and was winning back members it lost to Amcu.
“We have recognition for official at Aquarius [Sibanye Platinum Division] and we have stop orders at Impala. At Lonmin we have a problem that our shop steward was suspended for distributing NUM calendar to NUM members. We hope after this matter has been resolve we will see results at Lonmin,” he said.
African News Agency