The no-work-no-pay strike started last month with workers refusing to go back to work unless their wage demand was met.

There are at least three cash loan outlets in the small mining town.

At Tshelete Cash Loan, a Lonmin employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, said on Tuesday that his monthly salary amounted to R7,800 before deductions.

This included allowances and overtime payment.

His take-home pay came to about R5,000 — money he had not been earning since the strike.

“The last time I was at work was during the first week of August. I came to borrow money. I don’t have any money left.”  

He hails from Limpopo and lives at Majakaneng village, about 15km from Marikana.

As an existing client at Tshelete Cash Loan, he managed to borrow R1,500.   At least R1,000 would be sent home to his family in Limpopo, he said.

He says he is considering returning to work...  "I will risk it because I do not have a choice".

Some of his colleagues have also decided to return to work.

“If you live in Nkaneng in Wonderkop you know you cannot go to work. It is very dangerous. People who go to work live in other areas and are picked up in minibus taxis.” 

An assistant manager at Tshelete, Sonnyboy Ditshele, said striking workers had been coming in numbers to borrow cash.

The company had no choice but to turn away new clients who work at Lonmin, he said. “I can only help existing clients even though they are on strike because we already have a relationship with them. We cannot lend [to] new clients from Lonmin.” 

Ditshele turned away six workers who wanted to try their luck.

“I cannot risk lending them money. No one knows what will happen at Lonmin.” 

Some of the miners who were turned away said they were afraid to go to work.

“Some of my neighbours are among the strikers. I can’t risk going to work because they will notice,” said one of the workers.

Comments

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Tue Jun 18 05:40:01 SAST 2013 ::

Sep 4, 2012

Mellow

Well last time I checked NO WORK NO PAY meant exactly that so really you lot were fooled not sure by who really and now you are just digging yourselves in dark hole of debts bo mashonisa are cruel and brutal julle gaan k@k see if you dont pay them on time shem eish mara SA sad sad saddddddddddddd
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Sep 4, 2012

MommaC

So now you pay for being political pawns in their game of power. Is it worth it?
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Sep 4, 2012

Takas

They should ask Juju for a loan....
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Sep 4, 2012

Sugaar

Ke lla le wena ,Your leader's(amcu) they could have explained you the Consequences of striking before.Onother problem is that you went for unprotect strike and the employer has the right to fire you,go namela kamela go kase go thuse ka selo.
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Sep 4, 2012

Flemza

Where is Malema now , Juju give or lend these miners money , u say they should not go to work , now borough them money
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Sep 4, 2012

lindsay

i wish the mine could just close and see what is he going to paid back the loan with
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Sep 4, 2012

Kaylae

Takas
They should ask Juju for a loan....
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Seconded
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Sep 4, 2012

malemaforpresident

Wish they could just change the name Marikana Village into Julias village and Lonmin into Jumin the name Marikana and Lonmin just bring back bad memories
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Sep 4, 2012

Wordoftruth

@ Sowetan. Why don't you make research and find out just who makes use of loan sharks. You'd probably be shocked to find out that, by large, all working class citizens cannot make ends meet and resort to abomashonisa to get by or failing such, their fallback is their stockvels or societies.

Life has become tougher whether one works or not (excluding certain class of people - which we cannot name names of)
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Sep 5, 2012

CYBORICO

this miners are living a lifestyle far beyond what they can afford, hence all this unreasonable demands
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