The underground protest by miners calling for the firing of a manager at Two Rivers mine in Mpumalanga was still in progress on Tuesday morning, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said.
The protest by about 100 miners began on Sunday evening, and on Monday they were joined by another 140 workers.
”The workers are refusing to come out.
”We asked management to suspend the manager but they refused,” NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said.
Protesters faced dangers underground such as high temperatures, the possibility of gas leakages and rock falls, he said.
”Some are not wearing safety gear, so it’s dangerous,” he said.
Seshoka said the NUM would make another intervention later on Tuesday to try to resolve the dispute.
According to a statement from NUM on Monday, the manager allegedly dismissed four workers after a rock fell on a miner’s foot.
Two Rivers platinum mine is situated on the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex, near the town of Lydenburg, and is owned by African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) and Impala Platinum.
ARM spokesperson Mike Schmidt could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. — Sapa