North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo has condemned in the strongest terms possible the alleged petrol bombing of two houses belonging to miners in Sekile outside Rustenburg.
“Acts of violence and intimidation targeted at non-striking workers and destruction of private and public properties call for parties involved in the wage dispute to bring the protracted strike to an end,” Premier Mahumapelo said.
Mahumapelo appealed to communities in the platinum belt to exercise restraint and to assist police in their investigations to ensure that those behind the senseless violence are behind bars. According to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the houses belonging to their members were petrol bombed on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Premier Mahumapelo has welcomed the establishment of a mediation panel set up by new Mining Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi to try and break the four-month deadlock between AMCU and platinum producers after the Labour Court process collapsed earlier in the week.
A panel from the mining, labour and finance ministries was set up after Minister Ramatlhodi’s met on Wednesday with labour and thereafter with executives of Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum an Lonmin.
The renewed talks came as firms reported billions of dollars in lost revenue and wages due to the stoppages, contributing to a contraction in the country's economy in the first quarter of the year.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
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Cell: 083 629 1987
Tel: 018 388 3705
Fax: 018 388 3157
Email: LKgwele@gmail.com
