Striking mine workers spend week underground

THINGS got heated pretty quickly last week when 75 miners at the Vaalkrantz Anthracite Colliery staged a sit-in underground.

According to reports, the workers downed tools on Monday last week after accusing Nasonti Mining Services (their contractor) of summarily firing them without paying them for days they had worked.

The miners burnt tyres at the entrance of the mine. They also burnt the conveyor belt conveying the coal from underground to the surface.

Addressing the media, community leader Lindo Madida said that even though the mine employs local people, the community is still angry that workers are being exploited.

“These people are here only for production, they don’t care about the people. They don’t want to listen to anybody, they don’t care about the community and the workers,” he said.

A court interdict to have them removed was secured by Keaton Energy Holdings on Friday and as a result the workers had no choice but to leave the coal mine that night.

It is currently unclear what the future holds for these workers and their employer, but insiders say the war is far from over.

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