Protesters hijack trucks, blockade Steelpoort
According to the residents, who are mostly from Ngwaabe, they are in need of jobs in the mines and they are struggling while just in the vicinity of the mines. They alleged the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) is a deliberate stumbling block between them and the mines.
STEELPOORT – The trend of blocking roads in Tubatse has resumed. Steelburger/Lydenburg News can confirm that since September 20 protesters have hijacked trucks and used them to block either the steel bridge or roads leading to the mines. The men blocking the roads are believed to be travelling in groups of 10 to 20 people.
According to the truck drivers, the protesters block the roads with their vehicles whenever they see a truck coming. They then instruct drivers to park the trucks in the middle of the road.
“At times they throw the keys in the veld or take it with them,” said a truck driver from Reinhardt Transport.
On Tuesday, miners struggled to reach their homes, as the roads were all blocked with trucks in the afternoon. Some could not report for duty on Wednesday morning.
According to the residents, who are mostly from Ngwaabe, they are in need of jobs in the mines and they are struggling while just in the vicinity of the mines. They alleged the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) is a deliberate stumbling block between them and the mines.
“We had a meeting with the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality on Tuesday for them to intervene in the matter. We are unemployed, while these mines are not helping to curb poverty in our areas,” said a member of the Ngwaabe Joint Forum.
The forum said they were told by the FTLM mayor, Johannes Phokane that he has taken a resolution not to engage with them anymore.
“He blatantly told us that he won’t be in a meeting with us. This led to our meeting dissolving.
“All we want is to engage with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), the mines as well as FTLM in ensuring locals benefit from the mines,” the forum’s members said.
FTLM’s Kubane Tolo said the mayor was ready to interact with the members of the community during the Tuesday meeting. “There are divisions among the communities and the mining committee.
“We previously facilitated in electing a mining committee, which includes DMR members as well as the members of the community. The body was transparently elected but it seems like there is a certain group that wants to be added to the committee.”
Tolo said the Tuesday meeting was cancelled as the attendees exchanged vulgar words and threatened one another.
“We are ready to facilitate a meeting with both the communities and the mines as well as the DMR and sort out the challenges faced by the groups.”
Meanwhile, the local miners felt hard done by the protests as they highlighted they are badly affected. “We are now forced to risk our lives to get to work. We were told by the mining companies that they will absorb the ‘no work, no pay’ rule.”
The business community also pleaded with the police sector to act strongly against the protesters as this affects the local economy badly.
Limpopo SAPS spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe said they have deployed the public order police unit in the area. “At this stage there are no reported incidents of damage to property. The situation is on and off and we will continue monitoring it.”
