‘Imposed deals’ trigger upheaval among locals
UNEMPLOYMENT, compounded by a lack of service delivery, is fuelling violence in mine-hosting rural communities.
Earlier this month, the Chamber of Mines told Business Times it was concerned about community discontent, specifically the violence that has occurred as a result.
“There are many reasons for this, of course, ranging from a lack of service delivery to the lack of economic opportunity. Unemployment and poverty are of great concern,” it said.
In Mogalakwena, where Anglo American operates one of the world’s largest open-pit platinum mines, residents fought running battles with police and set fire to a building occupied by the tribal authority this past week.
“We want employment,” said a resident who wanted to remain anonymous.
“Our children are not working while people we don’t know are working in our mine. When [our children] apply to the mines they are overlooked in favour of foreigners. Contractors who procure in the mine bring their own people.”
Chris Rutledge, mining and extractives coordinator at ActionAid South Africa, said the unrest was a result of a lack of mining legislation that would enable communities to participate in issues affecting them.
“We have created a time bomb that is beginning to explode. Communities are usually excluded. Everybody from government, labour, mining companies and shareholders are benefiting . . . while the communities remain largely poor,” he said.
Rutledge said it seemed that Anglo was continuing to play a divisive role in its engagements with communities and tribal authorities.
“The current uprisings and the mine’s insistence on dealing with tribal authorities as opposed to democratic community organisations have only exacerbated the tensions.
“The community’s displeasure with imposed deals with tribal authorities was clearly articulated when [they] burnt the tribal authority [building] last week.”
Anglo, whose operations have not been on full production for some time, pointed to a multi- stakeholder agreement brokered by Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi.
Anglo American spokeswoman Mpumi Sithole said initiatives had been agreed to to resolve the differences. These measures included the immediate creation of a task team by the Mogalakwena municipality made up of all villages to engage on issues affecting the communities.
“The task team will revisit agreements entered into between the company and the villages and agree on any out- standing action and implementation,” she said.
Community uprisings have been rife in recent months, especially in the platinum belt.
Residents of villages around the Sekhukhune district recently gathered at the Greater Tubatse municipal offices and warned that blood would be shed if the government failed to secure mining jobs for locals.
The gathering was attended by residents of Ga-Mampuru village, near Steelpoort, where protests have affected operations at surrounding mines in the past two weeks.
These protests affected operations at Two Rivers Platinum, Dwarsrivier Chrome, Glencore Alloys, Booysendal Platinum Mine, Samancor and Sylvania.
Dennis Dykes, chief economist at Nedbank, said it would be difficult for companies to intervene because the commodities cycle was depressed and would remain under pressure for some time.
“But the government can intervene by retraining labour and relocating them. It can also intervene by stimulating the economy generally,” he said.
The chamber said mining companies recognised that the employment of people from local communities was not only a regulatory requirement but made for good business sense and stable workforces.
It said companies tried to do as much as possible, but they often required certain skills not available in local communities.
“To address this, companies spend millions of rands every year in education and training, both for company employees, but also in providing access to bursaries, training in mining and technical skills and learnership opportunities for local community members,” the chamber said.