The situation at the Modder East mine was volatile as miners were kept hostage underground for a second time. [Picture: Eyewitness News/Jacques Nelles]
There is much uncertainty about the wellbeing of miners currently being held hostage in the Gold One’s Modder East mine some 30km east of Johannesburg. This is the second time a turf war plays out between miners affiliated with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).
In an interview on Salaamedia, NUM’s regional organiser Victor Ngwane said they were unsure how many miners were being held underground.
“For now, the matter has been handed over to SAPS … Where we are standing, there is little that NUM, as a trade union, can do from this situation,” he said, adding, “We are representing our members through these ongoing disciplinary hearings.”
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Hostages at Modder East mine
AMCU supporters allegedly blockaded the shaft exit since Friday. Over the weekend, tensions heightened after alleged hostage takers brutally attacked mineworkers. At least eight were released soon thereafter.
By Monday, the mine’s legal head Ziyaad Hassam confirmed that approximately 300 of the nearly 500 mineworkers had resurfaced. He was confident the end was in sight.
“We anticipate that the remainder will also be coming up to surface in the coming minutes, but we will confirm that once that has been resolved. We do think there is an end in sight. We certainly hope that everybody will be coming up to the surface. We will do a headcount to make sure that that is the case.”
In the wake of the previous hostage drama – sparked over an organising dispute between the unions – at the Modder East mine operations, 74 workers faced dismissal for an illegal strike in October. The situation aggravated a number of miners who now want the disciplinary process to be halted.
