RUSTENBURG – A protest march on Lonmin by the Bapo Ba Mogale was cancelled on Wednesday after the tribe reached an agreement with the platinum miner over its employment practices here.

“We have an agreement with Lonmin: the mine will take 500 people for training and they will be paid a stipend of R5 000 per month,” said Bapo spokesman Vladimir Mogale.

He said the training programme — which was agreed amid plans by Lonmin to slash thousands of jobs at its Marikana mines — would give people skills that would enable them to get employment more easily.

“We have trained people to drive buses, and the current bus contract is nearing its term. We do not know whether it will go for tender but we have people ready to drive buses,” said Mogale.

The protest march was supposed to take place on Wednesday, after several days of violent protest, to demand that Lonmin stop operating from their area.

Mogale said Lonmin initially wanted to take 100 people for training, but the community was not happy and planned to march to the platinum producer over this issue.

As a result of this, Mogale said, “Lonmin came with a new offer and the community cancelled the march and focused on the implementation of the agreement.”

On Thursday night, several vehicles were pelted with stones on the N4 highway at Bapong, and by Friday morning four cars and a bus had been torched.

The road linking Pretoria and Sun City resort was barricaded by protesters.

Lonmin is in the process of cutting 3 500 jobs at its operation in Marikana near Rustenburg.

The North West provincial government called on residents to avoid engaging in violent and criminal activities, and opt for dialogue with Lonmin and Bapo Ba Mogale Tribal Authority on matters of common interest.

“While young people’s needs must be addressed as part of the collective’s commitment towards realizing the goals of the National Development Plan, they must be strongly discouraged from resorting to violent actions, and be motivated to commemorate youth month in ways that give meaning to the achievements of the 1976 generation,” said North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo.

“We remain confident that with proper engagements, the affected parties will find lasting solutions to challenges raised by the residents, and sustain their effort to build a non-violent and progressive community,” he said.