Platinum belt on knife-edge

EASTERN Cape miners working on the platinum belt near Rustenburg fear for their lives if they heed a call from producers to return to work today .

The miners, many of whom hail from Transkei, said the situation on the ground at Marikana was extremely volatile after four people were killed in what is believed to be strike-related violence in the past three days.

This includes the killing of a 60-year-old man stabbed in the neck, chest and ribs and the murder of a contract worker, who was set alight in his shack on Saturday.

Yesterday afternoon, fires started burning in Nkaneng informal settlement in Marikana, as about 1000 armed strikers began hunting down those who reported for duty at the nearby Lonmin platinum processing plant.

A bald man armed with a knobkerrie warned journalists to leave as "this doesn't need your presence. Leave if you don't want trouble".

They launched their raid by setting stalls along the streets on fire as they headed towards the Koppie where 34 miners were killed by police in August 2012.

A mine worker, who did not want to be named, said he no longer slept at the "dangerous" informal settlement.

Platinum producers, meanwhile, said there had been at least 20 reported acts of assault over the last two days and a number of serious incidents of intimidation against employees and bus operators providing transport to mining company employees.

More than 15000 workers in Rustenburg's platinum belt have been on strike since January demanding a minimum wage of R12500 a month.

The effect of the strike is not only being felt in Rustenburg. Communities in the Eastern Cape, Mozambique and Lesotho have seen remittances from family members working on the mines dry up.

Several miners from the Eastern Cape working in the area said yesterday they feared for their lives if they returned to work. While some supported the call to return, others remained defiant.

Eastern Cape miner Sithembele Sohadi is a member of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), which is spearheading the strike. He said the union had reached a point of no return.

"If we pull out [of the strike], we will be laughed at," Sohadi said.

"We are not turning back but demand what our union is asking for. I have a family and they've been starving since the start of this."

North West police spokesman Brigadier Thulani Ngubane confirmed the deaths of three people at the weekend and said a fourth person was found dead on Monday.

"The first incident was when a couple was found dead at their torched house. Another person was killed and torched while the other was found dead on Monday morning."

Ngubane could not say if the victims were from the Eastern Cape but said police strongly suspected the incidents were linked to the ongoing strike.

Ngubane said many miners wanted to return to work but were being threatened.

"We want zero-tolerance on violence. We will make sure we beef up our teams and put in intelligence members there," he said.

Last week, platinum producer Lonmin began sending SMSes to employees urging them to return to work following a deadlock in negotiations with Amcu.

Lonmin also distributed flyers throughout Marikana urging workers to report for duty.

Another mineworker from the Eastern Cape, who would only give his name as Cebisile, said he was battling to make ends meet after going without a salary for four months.

He survived on handouts from relatives in the Eastern Cape but vowed not to return to work.

"I've been living below the poverty line even when I was working in the mine. I survived on cash loans.

"This four months of no pay is nothing, even though I can't get any bank loans," he said.

Yesterday, the chief executives of platinum producers Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), Impala Platinum (Implats) and Lonmin, Chris Griffith, Terence Goodlace and Ben Magara, released a joint statement condemning the violence.

They defended their decision to communicate directly with miners via SMS.

"We have a right to deal directly with our employees," they said. "Our employees wish to return to work but have expressed a fear of continued intimidation and violence.

"We call on Amcu to recognise and uphold the rights of those who wish to work without fear of intimidation or violence."

But despite the appeal, a miner said they would close the shafts if anyone reported for duty.

"Nobody is going there [today]. We will close all the shafts with cement if Lonmin hires anyone else," the mineworker, known only as May, said.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the police presence would be strengthened today.

"There will be increased patrols along the routes that workers use to get to the mines and police vehicles will escort buses carrying workers," he said. - Bongani Fuzile, Lindile Sifile and Sipho Masombuka