Lonmin, Bapo in new deal

A PROTEST march on Lonmin by the Bapo Ba Mogale was cancelled yesterday after the tribe reached an agreement with the platinum mining firm over its employment practices.

“We have an agreement with Lonmin. The mine will take 500 people for training and they will be paid a stipend of R5 000 per month,” Bapo spokesman Vladimir Mogale said.

He said the training programme – which was agreed on amid plans by Lonmin to slash thousands of jobs at its Marikana mines – would give people skills that would enable them to get employment more easily.

“We have trained people to drive buses, and the current bus contract is nearing its term. We do not know whether it will go for tender but we have people ready to drive buses.”

The protest march was supposed to take place yesterday, after several days of violent protest, with protesters planning to demand Lonmin stop operating from the area.

Mogale said Lonmin initially wanted to take 100 people for training, but the community was not happy and had planned to march to the platinum producer over this issue.

As a result of this, Mogale said: “Lonmin came with a new offer and the community cancelled the march and focused on the implementation of the agreement.”

Last Thursday night, several vehicles were pelted with stones on the N4 highway at Bapong, and by Friday morning four cars and a bus had been torched.

The North West provincial government has called on residents to avoid engaging in violent and criminal activities, and to opt for dialogue with Lonmin and the Bapo Ba Mogale Tribal Authority on matters of common interest.