Let op die uittreksels uit onlangse News 24 berigte! Three mines at a standstill (42 minutes ago Sapa)

Johannesburg - Three of South Africa's biggest mines were at a standstill on Wednesday, with thousands of workers reiterating a growing call for a pay increase to R12 500. A strike at Lonmin [JSE:LON] Platinum in Rustenburg went into its second month, with the company reporting an average 1.8% attendance at all its shafts on Wednesday. Further afield, near Carletonville, security guards fired tear gas at strikers at Gold Fields' KDC west gold mine.

The company said they had been intimidating and threatening contractors, people at a training centre, and had rushed towards a train. 85% of the workforce there did not heed a call to return to work, in spite of an interdict by the Labour Court declaring their strike unprotected. Anglo Platinum [JSE:AMS], also in Rustenburg, said it had to "redirect" its staff from their premises for their own safety, and that large groups gathered nearby were not their workers, as claimed. 

 

In a statement, Lonmin said it was saddened after a body was discovered near the area where strikers gathered on Tuesday ..............This brings the death toll associated with the Lonmin strike to 45 since August 10.  Ten people, including police and security guards, died in the week before police fired on protesters, killing 34 on August 16............. Other issues have also been raised. At Gold Fields [JSE:GFI], workers wanted the branch leadership of the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) removed, and pay equalisation.

At Amplats, workers complained about the quality of an energy drink provided for them. The call for R12 500 has been supported by expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, who visited the Gold Fields workers on Tuesday. He also demanded the resignation of the Num's leaders, a call which was dismissed by the union, and a national mining strike for five days a month

 

A leader of striking workers at Amplats said they were threatening to halt all mining operations around Rustenburg within a week if their employers did not accede to the R12 500 pay rise demand. "We want to assure you that by Monday next week there will be no mining operation in Rustenburg," said strike leader Evans Ramokga.

 

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa expressed concern over the amount of time it was taking to resolve the Lonmin situation, in spite of the support and resources directed at a resolution.

He suggested that Cyril Ramaphosa, a Lonmin director, "who has a wealth of experience in resolving labour disputes, to help resolve this long-drawn-out industrial dispute". Ramaphosa, who is now a businessman, was instrumental in the early organisation of the Num. Recruitment company Manpower SA expressed concern at the economic impact of the disruptions.

 

Regardless of the price of platinum surging in light of the issues, the strike meant mines were not meeting their contractual obligations or paying debtors. "Not only will this lead to further job losses as well as investor uncertainty in South African mines, but it will no doubt lead to changes in mine processes that could lead to less dependence on high workforce numbers in an attempt to curb the crippling effects strikes have on their operations," said managing director Lyndy van den Barselaar.

 

Dit is hierdie onbeheerbare situasie wat die minister van verdediging, (waarskynlik nie op eie inisiatief nie) genoop het om die weermag op gereedheidsgrondslag te plaas. ‘n Mens wonder hoe lank voor sy die opdrag kry om ‘n noodtoestand af te kondig. Dit is uit die waarnemings van Lyndy van den Barselaar duidelik dat mynwese se kommer lê nie by die potensiaal van lewensverlies en algemene chaos wat uit voortgesette geweld sal voortvloei nie, maar by die ekonomiese implikasies.

Dit verbyster ʼn mens dat een persoon soos Malema die weermag tot gevegsgereedheid kon opvorder wanneer minerale wat vir die buiteland belangrik is bedreig word, terwyl die toenemende moordaanslae op Blankes die minister laat vra, “ wat verwag julle van die ANC?” Die weervraag is, wat anders kan blankes verwag as die “Staatspresident” nou Malema se lied oorgeneem het en daar byvoeg “die kabinet sal die blankes skiet met masjiengewere!”

Die “certain steps” waarna hieronder verwys word laat ʼn mens wonder of dit nog skerppunt ammunisie insluit. Terwyl die minister dit goeddink om die weermag op gereedheidsgrondslag te plaas, sal dit ook nie verkeerd wees van die AVP om te maan dat blankes en veral Afrikaners ons paraatheid dienooreenkomstig aan te pas met die oog opMalema se stelling dat: "Now we want to show them that we mean business. We are going to be engaging in very peaceful yet radical and militant action that will hit straight into the pockets of white monopoly capital." Sy visier bly maar op die blankes.

Soos wyle mnr. Jaap Marais gewaarsku het, is dit nie uitgesluit dat die geweld wat onder die swartes sal begin, na die blankes sal oorspoel nie. Moet dus nie onkant gevang word nie.

Die stabiliteit van ons land is nie in gedrang deur die Lonmin gebeure nie, dit was in gedrang gebring toe F.W. de Klerk en sy swakkeling ministers onder leiding van die Broederbond, ons land aan die Swart Kommunistiese ANC/SAKP/COSATO-alliansie op onwettige wyse oorhandig het. Hierdie monster tel nou sy koppe op en sal in afsienbare tyd sy stert begin swaai en vuur spoeg! Ons sal gaandeweg meer hieroor berig.

Military on high alert

2012-09-12 08:52

SANDF soldiers (File, Sapa)

 

Johannesburg - Military bases have been placed on high alert following news that Julius Malema is expected to meet with soldiers at a base south of Johannesburg, a report said on Wednesday.

According to the The Times, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula issued a strongly worded statement which said, in part, that ill-discipline in the military was a direct threat to the country's security.

 

Malema's planned address has been slammed by the department as incitement.

Top security intelligence briefings, involving several government ministers, were held on Tuesday night, the report stated. Suspended ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said in a statement: "The address is as a result of requests sent by the armed forces to Malema to come and listen to their cries and demands."

 

Directives issued to base commanders

But defence ministry spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said all bases had been placed on "high alert" and directives were issued to base commanders and “certain steps are being taken”.

News24

 

Malema: We mean business (Sep 12 2012 14:28Sapa)

Johannesburg - Firebrand politician Julius Malema on Wednesday made a fresh call for the nationalisation of strife-hit mines as strikes spread to the world's top platinum producer.   "We are calling for mining change in South Africa. We want the mines nationalised.,".... he told Radio Talk Radio 702. "But maybe this call has been ridiculed... by the authorities and mining bosses," Malema said.

"Now we want to show them that we mean business. We are going to be engaging in very peaceful yet radical and militant action that will hit straight into the pockets of white monopoly capital." His actions have sent jitters across a sector that accounts for a fifth of South African gross domestic product and is a mainstay of Africa's leading economy.

On Tuesday ....Julius Malema, addressing workers who packed a stadium at the mine, said: "There must be a national strike at all the mines until Frans Baleni (general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers) and the Num leadership step down with immediate effect."

 

The company was granted an interdict by the Labour Court on Monday to stop the strike, but had not enforced it yet. It said it would also not take action against Malema for the strike call.