BURGERSFORT – The commander -in- chief of the EFF Julius Malema warned mining companies to better the lives of local communities or risk being shut down.
Malema led a march to the Modikwa Platinum Mine last Friday August 21 where thousands of residents and EFF supporters handed over a memorandum of grievances to the mine management. The party’s leader walked for about 10 kilometres to arrive at the mine.
Malema threatened that if the living conditions of the people do not improve, residents will make the areas ungovernable.
“Not even the army can block the masses. The masses are losing their patience. They are saying enough is enough; they want to benefit from the mine. This is just a warning shot. If you do not listen to the warning shot, this mine will come to a complete stop, because you do not listen to ordinary people.”
The leader said he wanted the mines owned by deputy president Mr Cyril Ramaphosa and mining magnate, Mr Patrice Motsepe to be closed down if they don’t develop communities.
” Motsepe is scared of the whites, he knows our struggle and knows how we suffer but he still listens to the whites and call them investors (sic).
“50 percent of Modikwa must be given to locals not 17 percent. Since the inception of Modikwa in 2001, the mine promised to adhere to the social labour plan, but they did nothing to the communities.”
Malema said the local mines must not dare and think of retrenching workers.
“During the mining boom, these companies made more than enough. We know that the owners are living large. We are saying that they must use the money they made in the boom to fund the current situation and to develop the communities”
Malema took a swipe at the police as he told them to stop militarising the SAPS. He said the police should find away to deal with protesting communities.
“Police are not enemies to civilians, stop using live ammunition and shooting at the protesters. We are also protesting for the cops as they don’t have flushing toilets.”
Malema said the black South African police men suffered from “self hate” as they shot at their own African brothers who demanded services.
The Greater Tubatse Municipality (GTM) was not spared the brunt of his attack. He said the GTM mayor Ralepane Mamekoa suffered from “old age”.
“The old Mamekoa must remove his picture at the GTM, come 2016 the EFF will be running that municipality, he is an old man who only sleeps during the council meetings.”
Malema said Mamekoa was only reinstated as the mayor because of his past love affair with the minister of international relations and Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
“We chased him before because of his incompetence, now they brought him back . His days are numbered.”
Malema said the locals should vote for his party as ANC died with Mandela.
“The last time ANC marched was when they protested for the spear, EFF marches for the masses not the brainless president with a butternut head (sic)“
Malema also took the time to talk about his tenure as an ANC member. He said he was sacked because he wanted the party to put service delivery first and to share the government’s money with the poor.
“I told them that when we chow the money we must think of the people at grass roots. They in turn told me to eat the money and get quiet. When I talked, they expelled me,” he said.
Among the party’s demands to Modikwa was a minimum wage of R12, 500 for all mine workers, they also want local mines to erect a state of the art hospital in Tubatse. The EFF said the mine should built houses for workers and ensure locals were were hired. ” If the Modikwa mine does not listen to our demands, we will write to the department of mineral resources to suspend the mine,”the party said.
