Officials from the SA Police Service (SAPS) were silent and on standby on Tuesday while more than 500 mineworkers remained trapped underground by their colleagues for nearly 48 hours in a dispute over union recognition at a site owned by Gold One.
There was a heavy security presence at the mine with armed guards at the entry and exit points and hundreds of miners with union paraphernalia following developments.
Water, soft drinks and bread were allowed into the facility but it was not clear whether they were taken underground.
In the afternoon, security vehicles were seen speeding to the premises, located in Springs, east of Johannesburg.
Police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, who on Monday said her colleagues were on standby to monitor any eventualities, said “there is no update from the SAPS side” regarding the incident, which has been described as a hostage situation.
The “hostage” crisis is the latest episode in SA’s troubled mining sector, which has been plagued by labour unrest, violence and low productivity.
The crux of the dispute between Gold One and the Association of Construction and Mineworkers Union (Amcu) is the recognition of the union as the majority representative of the workers.
Amcu, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the management of Gold One gave conflicting statements on whether the standoff has escalated into a hostile crisis.
Amcu, which says it represents almost all of the company’s 1,800 workers, called it a voluntary sit-in by employees after the Sunday night shift. NUM and Gold One described it as a hostage situation in which employees are being prevented from coming to the surface.
The three parties were in a marathon meeting to try to resolve the crisis, which is a threat to mineworkers’ health and to SA’s credentials as an emerging market for investors.
“There is not much to update. We are still in negotiations with Amcu to release the workers,” said Ziyaad Hassam, head of legal at Gold One, which counts the China Development Fund as an investor.
“The SAPS are setting up an operations centre at the mine. They are monitoring the situation with a view to intervene should we not negotiate the safe release of the miners.”
The Minerals Council SA called on all role players to find a speedy solution to the situation, which needs to be resolved before more people are “hurt and their health, safety and emotional wellbeing compromised”.
“The employees have been underground well past their statutory shift and the Minerals Council is worried about their health and safety, with reports of nine people injured, and that food and medical supplies are not reaching people underground,” spokesperson Allan Seccombe said in a statement.
He said the council has reached out to all the parties involved to understand what has transpired and if it can assist in resolving the matter.
“Of utmost importance is the need to ensure the health and safety of all those who are underground and for them to all come to the surface while the situation is peacefully resolved.”
Amcu has been interdicted from continuing with the hostage situation. In the interim order granted on Monday evening, Amcu was interdicted from assaulting, intimidating and/or threatening Gold One’s employees, and from inciting any other employee to do the same. The SAPS was directed to “immediately take all necessary steps” to ensure Amcu complies with the interim order.
mkentanel@businesslive.co.za
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