Church provides aid to striking miners
The Northfield Methodist Church has provided hundreds of striking mine workers with much needed food supplies.
The Revs Brian Smith, Fran Caldwell, Khaya Mnyanda and Joseph Magane visited the Khuseleka shaft (North West Province), on May 19, to donate the food parcels.
The group donated 200 food packages made up of rice, tins of meat and fish, 5kg meal, soups, tea, coffee, soap, baby formula and 25kg bags of soya mix.
Some of the funding for these items came through the Northfiled Mission and Outreach Ministry.
This donation comes approximately 18 weeks into the strikes in the mining sector, with reports of various other organisations, such as Gift of the Givers, Democratic Left Front, Marikana Support Campaign, the Socialists Workers Party UK and the public, forming part of the donors.
Thousands of miners are striking for a minimum wage of R12 500.
Northfield Methodist Church senior minister, the Rev Brian Smith, said the church has undertaken to donate R10 000 per month for the next three months.
Smith said thousands of people are without food.
”As long as the strike continues, there will be growing hunger,” he added.
”The affected are probably in the region of six people per striking miner.
”If there are 70 000 striking miners, the affected will be 420 000 hungry people – men, women and children.
Smith said he was taken aback by the miners’ reaction.
”The day we arrived the miners were standing in a snake like line, like on voting day, but this was about hoping to receive some food,” he said.
”They stood in virtual silence… that was quite overwhelming.”
Smith said his church will make its next donation in June, and then again in July.
The reverend said the screening of the documentary ”Miners Shot Down”, at the church on May 15, inspired him to get involved.
The film explores the events since the 2012 shooting of miners in Marikana.
”Once I saw the documentary, I knew we had to make difference,” Smith explained.
”Simply put, hungry people need to be helped and, as a church, we try to do that.
”Furthermore, I think that the Marikana strike is as much about South Africa as it is about the miners.
”I am not an economist, nor a politician, but I am a theologian and I believe that we ignore the poor at our peril.”
The church will welcome donations.
Items may be taken to the Northfield Methodist Church or an EFT transfer may be made.
For more information contact Marlene Rudman on 010 140 0225.
