It was only a matter of time before calls would be made for the sacking of Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, who is putting South Africa’s defining industry under more threat by the day.
As it is mineworkers who are feeling the brunt of job losses, it is fitting that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) should be strident in bringing the matter to a head.
Listening to NUM president Piet Matosa on the Mining Weekly video – which can be accessed on Mining Weekly Online – provides an insight that reveals much more than was visible from the outside.
Matosa makes no bones about the NUM’s disappointment in the Minister, who is described as the worst the union has served under.
The Minister has brought the wrath of the industry down on himself by being so nasty to those trying to work for the good of the industry and the South African economy during its hour of need.
Zwane seems to be the only one who is unconcerned about the urgent need for job creation.
Matosa made it clear the NUM would soon approach President Jacob Zuma to request that he remove the Minister from his position – which Zuma will find extremely hard to do, owing to Zwane being in his camp.
In June, the Minister was forced to leave a community engagement imbizo in the Steve Tshwete local municipality, in Mpumalanga, after being heckled by sections of the mining community audience.
The Minister had gone there to hear the views of affected communities following his release of the unworkable Mining Charter Three, and had to flee through a rear exit.
It was at that time that the Bench Marks Foundation, which works closely with near-mine communities, accused the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) of being entirely insincere in its consultation and described Zwane’s unilaterally devised Mining Charter Three as being “as dangerous to South Africa as an abandoned mine shaft”.
“It boggles the mind that the DMR believes that speaking to a small number of chiefs in one mining area is representative of the views of mining-affected communities in South Africa,” Bench Marks executive director John Capel said in condemning the consultation process.
The Chamber of Mines shares the NUM’s concerns about job losses and points out that the domestic mining industry has made net losses of some R50-billion under Zwane, who has contributed in no small measure through his DMR’s grossly inappropriate application of Section 54 stoppages.
The chamber warns that as many as 100 000 direct jobs and 200 000 indirect jobs are at risk in the short to medium term.
Spare a thought for the people of South Africa, Mr Minister, and move aside as fast as you possibly can.