Mine ‘protects’ manager accused of sexual misconduct

A FEMALE Assmang mine employee has allegedly suffered secondary victimisation by the mine’s management after she reported a manager for sexual harassment last month.

The manganese ore mine in Kuruman, Northern Cape, has been accused by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) of protecting the manager and illtreating the employee who reported him for sexually harassing her at work.

“What angers the union and its members at Black Rock, is the vile and disgusting treatment the employee received from the company, whose management is hell-bent on defending one of their own, and thus violating several rights of the victim. This includes being subjected to an intrusive polygraph test, suspended and charged by the company for reporting the sexual harassment by the superior,” said NUM national spokesman Luvhuwani Mammburu.

He said NUM had reported the matter to Assmang senior management to highlight the levels of secondary victimisation.

“Unfortunately, matters affecting women, and especially NUM members, seem not to be high on their agenda. The victim remains suspended, while the alleged perpetrator remains at work.

“Our first objective is to ensure all charges against our member are withdrawn, and secondly, [that] the alleged perpetrator is put on precautionary leave. The third is for the company to investigate the role played by management in covering up the incident and victimising the member by subjecting her to a polygraph test and subjecting her to a disciplinary process,” Mammburu said.

Assmang confirmed that a sexual harassment incident was reported to management. “The incident is currently being thoroughly investigated according to the policies and procedures of the Black Rock Mine, which allow for the facts to be heard from all parties involved and allow for the appeal of any outcomes of such disciplinary processes by the parties involved.

“Black Rock Mine management takes any allegations of sexual harassment very seriously and is committed to ensuring that any such complaints are dealt with thoroughly, fairly and without any prejudice to either the accused or the complainant.”

Mammburu said the union would leave no stone unturned in the fight against women abuse. ”

He said there was a need for a high-level awareness of policies to empower and protect women in the mining industry, including policies on sexual harassment.

“A policy on the protection of victims of sexual harassment and other forms of gender discrimination should be strengthened in the mining industry and publicised among women employees so that when these cases arise, women can speak out without fear,” he said.