CAME across an article by Mike Smith about the deaths of mines in South Africa. It makes sad reading.
During the first half of the 20th century, gold was discovered on several farms south of the Freestate town of Odendaalsrus After the second World War, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer and his Anglo American Corporation bought up all the prospecting rights in the area and decided to mine the richest gold find in the history of South Africa.
Oppenheimer decided that he would build his own town for his miners. Named Welkom for the farm where the gold was first discovered.
In his mind Oppenheimer envisioned a beautiful garden city with broad streets. He commissioned the design of Welkom to leading town planner William Backhouse and landscape gardener Joane Brim.
For Backhouse the design of a town from scratch was a dream come true. Space was not a problem on the Freestate plains, so he designed the streets broad with no traffic lights, only roundabouts, to keep the traffic flowing – and no high-rise buildings.
In the centre of town he wanted a Roman Forum with a square where town folk could gather. Sports clubs, golf clubs, Olympic swimming pools, cinemas, theatres, hospitals, parks, schools, a technical college and an airport were built, all funded by the riches of the gold below the soil.
The town attracted people from all over South Africa. Money was flowing, salaries were high. By the 1970s Anglo Gold was operating six massive mines with 22 deep level shafts in which 122 000 people worked.
The mines of Welkom were producing 35% of South Africa’’ gold, which was 75% of the world’s gold.
Times were good for blue collar whites. Even in the nearby black township of Thabong and the coloured township of Bronville, the living standards were very high. Welkom was a clean, prosperous well-run town. Then the ANC took over and with it came BEE.
They wanted not only a cut of the pie from the mining industry but the whole thing. For Anglo the writing was on the wall and before they lost everything, they moved their assets to London.
During the past 10-15 years more than 100 000 jobs have been lost in Welkom. The skip wheels of the mines are not turning and the sound of the mines have fallen silent. The slime dams are the last remnants of a once-thriving mining industry.
Today, the mines are in the hands of BEE companies and being plundered for scrap metal. The municipality of Matjabeng is run by the ANC. In June 2011 it came into prominence as one of the worst examples of ANC corruption and misrule.
The decay is obvious everywhere and it is fast becoming a ghost town. 1500 staff houses at the mines are standing empty. Even churches have closed their doors.
Most of the whites have left Welkom. To say that the town is a shadow of its former self, is an overstatement.
Welkom is one example. The story is repeated for other mines.
Meanwhile, Anglo and other groups are now developing mines in other countries like South America, Canada and Australia. Can you blame them?
Main Source: Beyond the Miracle: Inside the New South Africa. Alister Sparks. 2003. (Abbreviated)
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Tax dilemma: Myron Greenberg receives a letter from SARS advising him that he is about to be audited. This really upsets him, so he calls his accountant.
Myron (pleading): “What tare hey doing to me?
Accountant (calming): “Myron, don’t worry about it. I’ve got all the receipts, the account is up to date, it’s no problem.
“But let me give you a bit of advice. When you go to the audit, make a bad impression. Wear the crummiest, dirtiest clothes you’ve got. Have holes in your shoes, ripped pants and look shabby. I mean, really look terrible, because if they have a little sympathy, they’ll go easy on you.
Then Myron called his lawyer. His Lawyer said: “Myron, it’s no problem, I’m sure they got the receipts.
“Don’t worry about it. Let me give you a tip. When you go to the audit, it’s very important that you make a good impression. Wear your best suit and your shirt with a silk tie and cuff links and shine your shoes, look like somebody, because if you look like a somebody, they respect you and will go easy on you.”
And now he’s torn. So he goes to see his Rabbi and tells him the story.
Rabbi: “Myron, it reminds me of sometimes when I perform a wedding. The bride’s father will tell his daughter that on her wedding night to wear a nightgown with a high collar and long sleeves and a full-length robe…cover up, you know, be a little demure.
“And the mother says, ‘Don’t be silly. Wear a low cut negligee with the cleavage sticking out, look a little sexy.’
“And Myron, I will say to you just like I say to the bride on her wedding night, it makes no difference what you wear, you’re gonna get screwed anyway.”
