Deep trouble
Job losses bring Horizon Deep’s mining industry to a standstill – and someone’s got to pay… with blood.
Isidingo Weekdays SABC3 (*193) 19:00
South Africa’s mining industry isn’t in the best of health and per Isidingo’s reputation of mixing realworld events with its fictional storylines, it’s no wonder that we’re now seeing miners losing their jobs and going on strike. “This story as a whole has been a long time in the building,” says headwriter David Gordon. “There has been tension in Horizon Deep for weeks and the men at the top have been blinded with their competing against each other to notice it.”
MACHINE POWER
Ben and Ntando (Arno Marais and Lerato Mofokeng) have been going head-to-head to be top dog at Sibeko Gold since mid-July and on Friday 3 August, the miners find out that jobs will be lost because new machines will replace them and make mining better (read: more profitable). But rather than confronting the men who’re actually firing them, the miners go on strike on Monday 6 August and then demand answers from mine manager Hendrik (Gérard Rudolf) on Friday 10 August. “Hendrik has been a victim of Ben and Ntando’s distraction and neglect,” explains David, adding that “the miners who enter Hendrik’s home [later on Friday 10 August] are convinced that he is turning against them, but it’s not the case. He hasn’t sided with management at all!”
IT WASN’T US
Hendrik not being able to answer the miners’ questions on Monday 13 August stokes their fires and in a frenzy, blood is spilt. “It gets out of hand because there are troublemakers among the miners,” reveals David. “The miners are shocked when they see what has happened – you can see it on their faces because they know this isn’t the outcome that they’d wanted. The lines have been drawn though and things can only get worse…”