Company abandoned them, say widows
Operations at a glance
A WIDOW who lost her husband in the Assmang explosion in 2007 accuses the company of being unsympathetic.
Alice Maduna, 46, whose husband Samora Zibuse Maduna, 51, was among six workers killed during a furnace blast at the Cato Ridge factory in February 2008, recalled seeing her husband’s battered body.
“I was deeply hurt at the way the father of my children was injured. The sight of his injured body will forever haunt me.”
Maduna has lost hope that any action will be taken against
‘ I have given up. It ’ s been so many years ’
Assmang for the deaths of her husband and his colleagues.
The unemployed mother of four children, from Esiweni outside Pietermaritzburg, said: “I have given up. It’s been so many years. The company is not showing sympathy to the families of the dead workers.”
Lawyer Richard Spoor, representing the families of the dead workers, said they had received compensation from the compensation commissioner but Assmang had refused to top it up.
He said the widows were paid 30% of their husband’s annual salary, while 15% of the father’s earnings was allocated for each minor child.
Maduna, whose husband had worked for Assmang for 15 years, said she received a oneoff lump sumof R40 000 from the commission and was receiving a R4 500 monthly pension.
“But it’s not enough … with escalating food prices, it’s hard to survive. We had hoped the company would also come on board and compensate us.”
Another widow, Gladness Mtolo, whose husband Alfred had worked for Assmang for 30 years, also received R40 000.
Mtolo, 48, from Mvini outside Pietermaritzburg, is also unemployed and said the money was not enough to take care of her and her four children.
“We wish the company would compensate us because it’s not even educating our children. When I applied for a bursary for my eldest daughter they told me ASSMANG is controlled jointly by African Rainbow Minerals Limited and Assore Limited, which each has a 50% shareholding.
Assmang ’ s mining operations are in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga. It mines manganese at its Black Rock Mine and iron ore at Beeshoek and Khumani mines in the Northern Cape; chrome ore is mined at Dwarsrivier Mine in Mpumalanga.
The company produces manganese alloys at its plant in Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal, and chrome alloys and manganese alloys in Machadodorp, Mpumalanga.
Founded in 1935, the group has 5 716 permanent employees and operates as three divisions: iron ore, manganese and chrome.
The bulk of its production is exported to the Far East, Europe and the US. — Source: Assmang company profile that she had to get a distinction in matric and, unfortunately, she didn’t,” she said.
Cashile Ndlovu, whose son Bhekithimba, 46, was among the victims of the blast and whose daughter Thulisile, 36, died after being diagnosed with manganism, said: “This is painful. I’ve accepted that I lost my children.”
Phumelaphi Ngcobo, 59, whose son Nhlanhla, 30, was killed in the blast, said she was now the breadwinner in the family.
In response to Sunday Times questions, African Rainbow Minerals CEO Michael Schmidt said after the blast the Department of Labour had submitted a report to the Director of Public Prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal.
“To date Assmang has not been advised by the director of the decision whether or not a prosecution will be instituted concerning the matter. Assmang’s stance is that there had not been any negligent conduct on its part which caused the accident.”