Mine suspends 34 workers who held 500 colleagues hostage

At least 34 mineworkers who allegedly held 500 of their colleagues hostage underground in the East Rand last week have been suspended.

Gold One mine head of legal, Ziyaad Hassam said the miners were suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday and would face internal disciplinary proceedings from early next week.

Hassam said the suspensions came after obtaining eyewitness reports from employees underground and camera footage.

“We do have footage underground, which we viewed and has given us an indication of those involved,” he said.

He said the company had not yet opened criminal cases against the employees.

“We are in the process of identifying more suspects and taking statements down but no charges have been laid and no cases have been opened. Two processes are running separately, the internal DC hearing for contravention of the code of conduct and potential criminal cases will be if any of the employees have been engaged in criminal conduct and we are able to identify those employees,” he said.

Gold One is wielding the axe after more than 500 employees spent three days underground from Sunday until Wednesday last week.

While the company, police and labour union National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) have labelled the event as kidnapping, rival union Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and some workers said the sit-ins was in protest against the company’s failure to award the latter union organisational rights. 

One of the suspended miners told Sowetan he believed they were being “targeted” because they wanted to join the Amcu.

“NUM is not helping us with anything. I was the first to be suspended because they knew we were the group that wanted to join Amcu.

“I feel bad that they have suspended us. I was trying to fight for my rights, so now I find myself being suspended. I am now facing the possibility of losing my job. I am not sure what is going to happen,” he said.

The man said every morning, he goes to the mine and signs a suspension register as stipulated in the suspension letter, which he received on Tuesday.

The letter also warns him not to “intimidate or interfere with any witnesses, complainants or employees during your suspension or temper with any evidence”.

NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu told Sowetan that the company made the “right” decision by suspending the workers.  

“No one in SA or any mineworker must be allowed to hold other people hostage underground. They must face the full might of the law and the consequences of their reckless decision,” Mammburu told Sowetan.

On the mineworkers joining another union, Mammburu said: “Everyone is free to join a union of their choice. Why when you leave, then you hold people hostage?

“That hostage was a crime scene underground. SAPS must do its job and investigate and arrest everyone who was involved,” he said. 

Chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za