The government should declare a ”state of emergency” in the Stilfontein area as thousands of miners and their families are going hungry, the trade union Solidarity said on Wednesday.
”We [are] getting no support from government and the pressure on the community to supply the mineworkers with food is becoming overwhelming,” said Solidarity spokesperson Dirk Hermann.
Earlier in the day, thousands of unhappy miners from two liquidated mines in Stilfontein in the North West and their families blocked the N12 near the town.
They demanded that liquidators immediately allow the preferred bidder for DRDGold’s liquidated North West operations, Simmer & Jack Mines, to take over mining.
Police spokesperson Captain Alfje Bothma said the group of about 2 000 people blocked the road for about two hours. They then marched to a meeting attended by unions, liquidators and mine bosses to await feedback.
Thousands of people from the mining town are on a feeding scheme since the mines stopped operations about three months ago.
Hermann described the march as a ”protest by people who have no food on their table”.
”These people are frustrated with the liquidation process. They are in a desperate financial position and are going hungry.”
He said the Stilfontein feeding scheme used the last of its funds last week to provide food to families left destitute by the liquidation of the two mines.
Unions, the community and companies have donated money and food to the scheme.
”The government is absent from the process and in the meantime 6 500 people are literally without food. We also appeal to all role players to speed up the process of finding a buyer for the mine,” Hermann said.
Simmers spokesperson Gail Strauss said it is still not known when the company will start operating the mines.
”We are currently in negotiations with the liquidators and are confident that a resolution can be reached,” she said.
Simmers has already concluded an agreement with the unions on new, restructured conditions of employment for the miners.
It is now negotiating an interim agreement with the liquidator as a precursor to the purchase agreement. — Sapa