Negotiations to resolve unrest are still not on

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.

One of the agreements between the managers and communities was that the local mines would employ the sons and daughters of the soil and develop local communities. Both parties agreed to disband recruitment agencies and to centralise offices where job opportunities would be posted before being advertised. A task team was also formed.

It is four months down the line and the task team that was chosen is divided after some members quit and the mining companies did allegedly not achieve what they promised at Thaba Moshate. Job opportunities are still being advertised without being sent to the centralised offices.

Due to this unsuccessful occurrence the communities decided to relaunch the strike. After a meeting on December 8 that lasted nine hours at Greater Tubatse Municipality, the communities agreed to cancel the strike and a meeting between the DMR, mine managers and task team was scheduled for December 14.

By December 11 the unexpected happened when 14 protesters were arrested and appeared in the Lydenburg Magistrate’s Court on charges for malicious damage to property. No bail was granted and they were remanded in custody, but the magistrate withdrew the Mpumalanga case against them as some of the vehicles were set alight about 900 metres from the border. However, they still had to face the Limpopo district charges. The arranged meeting for December 14 was postponed, since the task team comrade and councillor were among the 14 protesters arrested.

The accused appeared in the Schoonoord Magistrate’s Court on December 15, but they were yet again denied bail and the case was postponed until December 17. By then the communities said the arranged meeting between the DMR, mine managers and task team would not be taking place until the members were released from police custody.

During the court case on December 14, the number of accused had increased to 17 facing charges for malicious damage to property. No bail was granted and the case was yet again postponed to the following day. One protester, who was allegedly injured by police during the strike, was granted bail, but the other 16 remained in custody.

On December 22 the 16 remaining protesters were granted bail, but were classified under either category one or five of bail granting, meaning that category one accused had to pay R5 000 and category five R10 000. On their release they were also issued certain conditions that stipulated that they had to report to the police station every Monday and Friday and that they were not allowed to take part in any public or mine meetings.

Cllr Ephraim Hlatshwayo, spokesman for the communities and also one of the 16 protesters arrested said they would appear in the Schoonoord Magistrate’s Court today to hear the final outcome of their case. “If the outcome is not in our favour, we will take it to the High Court.”

Hlatshwayo added that some community members were busy negotiating with the municipality to reschedule the meeting between the DMR, mine managers and the task team.