66 mineworkers remain underground in SA’s Kroondal...

66 mineworkers remain underground in SA’s Kroondal Mine protest: NUM

SowetanLive - A total of 66 mineworkers remain underground in an illegal sit-in at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Kroondal mine, the National Union of Mineworkers confirmed on Wednesday.

More than 200 miners staged an underground protest on Monday over annual payments made under the employee share option schemes, which was paid to beneficiaries of the Rustenburg and Marikana mines on Friday.

The striking Kroondal employees are aggrieved they did not receive ESOP payments. However, the company said they do not yet qualify for this.

The company said morning shift employees, including contractors at the Kwezi shaft, initiated the illegal sit-in on Monday. At the K6 shaft the nightshift was also disrupted, with about 250 people gathering in a central waiting place at the surface.

NUM Rustenburg regional secretary, Geoffrey Moatshe confirmed that of the 211 workers who formed part of the sit-in, 66 remained underground.

The first 13 left on Monday evening. Another group, consisting mostly of contracted workers and officials, left on Tuesday.

“About 66 workers remain underground. The others were allowed to get out. The report we are getting is that initially workers were held against their will, but we get a sense they are divided on whether they should continue.

“Of the 66 who remain, about 10 are our members,” Moatshe said.