Criminal charges opened after ‘assaults underground’ at Gold One mine

Criminal and internal disciplinary investigations are under way after the illegal underground sit-in protest at Gold One mine in Springs on the East Rand in Gauteng.

The protest, which involved 440 miners allegedly being held hostage and assaulted by protest ringleaders, started on Thursday and ended on Monday. 

This came after about 562 miners were allegedly held hostage at the same mine from October 22-25 after a labour law dispute between the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and Gold One’s management about recognition rights. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had a closed shop agreement with the company, which it has voluntarily ended.

Ziyaad Hassan, head of legal affairs at the mine, told SAfm the protesters, who were protesting against the dismissal of 52 workers involved in the October protest, allegedly became violent towards colleagues on Sunday.

The alleged assaults were reported to police and internal disciplinary investigations have been opened, he said.

The mine communicated with the rival unions, NUM and Amcu, to reinforce its stance that there are internal appeal processes they can use in the case of a dispute, and that violence will not be tolerated.

“This has become a worrying trend within the sector. We need to find lasting solutions so this doesn’t become a norm.

“Where appropriate and where necessary, we will again institute disciplinary action,” Hassan said.

The Solidarity trade union said middle managers and contractors had allegedly been targeted for assault during the “appalling” hostage drama.

“Some were not only held hostage but were also assaulted and humiliated. White supervising managers are believed to have been specifically targeted for some of the assaults,” the union said.

Solidarity official Paul Mardon said some miners had to undergo medical treatment afterwards.

“Some perpetrators were armed with traditional weapons used to seriously assault some of the approximately 440 hostages. Apparently, the assaults targeted supervising managers who were also held hostage, white supervising managers in particular.

“These managers were also humiliated by having to take off all their clothes, after which they were assaulted,” Mardon said.

During the protest, the health and safety of all the hostages were put at risk, he said.

“There was insufficient provision of water and food for the hostages. Some of them had to use chronic medication, which was not available to them underground.”

Mardon criticised the protesters for not using existing procedures available to them under the Labour Relations Act and the Gold One mine’s disciplinary code.

“Mineworkers’ health and safety and those affected by mining operations should be the most important factor in mining. It is even more important than traditional labour relations. Labour disputes must never be conducted in such a way that it endangers the health and safety of people.”

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