Negotiations to resolve Steelpoort area unrest are still not on
Cllr Ephraim Hlatswayo, spokesman for the communities and also one of the protestors arrested spoke to the paper about their release, bail agreement and when they will appear again in court
STEELPOORT – Since last year December protesters of Ngwaabe, Phasha, Mampuru and Tukakgomo have been causing havoc on the R555. Fourteen were arrested on charges of malicious damage to property and the meeting between the task team, DMR and mine managers has yet again been postponed. Locals are curious about the court outcome and negotiations between the communities and mines.
Five cars, a bus, minibus taxi and 16 trucks on the R555 and Steelbridge were set alight by these protesters on December 6. They ran riot, torching vehicles and blockading roads in the Steelpoort area. The strike also led to an innocent motorist’s death after he had allegedly crashed into one of the burning trucks used to barricade the road.
The protesting communities were at loggerheads with mining companies accusing them of not providing jobs or empowerment opportunities and not fulfilling promises of skills development after they had signed the agreement on July 22 at Thaba Moshate.
Cllr Ephraim Hlatswayo, spokesman for the communities and also one of the protestors arrested spoke to the paper about their release, bail agreement and when they will appear again in court. He also spoke about the arranged meeting between the task team, DMR and mine managers. Read the full story in tomorrow’s Steelburger/Lydenburg Newspaper.
