Arrested Gold One miners out on R1 500 bail
A car belonging to a NUM shop steward was set alight.
Kwa-Thema – The families and colleagues of five striking AMCU Gold One mineworkers arrested during an illegal strike on Monday clubbed together to raise the R7 500 required for bail.
In total, 13 miners were arrested, but eight were not charged and released from police custody on warning by the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Accused numbers one and two are charged with public violence, while three, four and five have an additional charge of possession of dangerous weapons. The protest started on Sunday night. A car belonging to NUM shop steward Prince Radebe was torched.
On Monday, armed with knobkerries, axes and golf clubs, they went head-to-head with the police and threw petrol bombs at the Public Order Police, but they failed to set off.
It is alleged the miners also visited the homes of NUM members and intimidated them. Police had to use rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the miners. Presiding over the bail hearing, Magistrate Ashwell Shaun Jacobs postponed the matter to January 31.
Reading their bail conditions, Jacobs said the accused are not to have any direct and indirect contact with the members at Gold One Mine or send anyone to intimidate the workers.
“They are also not allowed to participate in any illegal protest at Gold One Mine and are expected to report to the police station every Wednesday between 07:00 and 09:00,” he said.
Three weeks ago, the miners downed tools, refusing to resurface from underground in demand for the mine to set a date for the election of a new union representing their needs. The closed-shop agreement currently in place was effected in 2012 and was supposed to be renewed three years later.
Out of frustration, the miners decided to down tools to raise their grievances. AMCU has taken NUM to the Labour Court in a bid to force the union and the mine to urgently release the ballot date.
AMCU Central Johannesburg secretary Tladi Mokoena said the striking miners are not AMCU-affiliated members but aggrieved members who have shown interest in joining the union.
“We don’t support or condone any form of violence and public destruction,” he added.
NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mamburu said they fear for the safety of their members.
“Our members are even threatened in their homes. Some have gone into hiding to seek safety,” he added.
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The mine’s legal representative, Ziyaad Hassam, confirmed the mine had suspended the striking miners involved in the hostage situation three weeks ago with three hearings on Monday morning.
“Operations were suspended on Thursday after the mine received intel that the miners are planning another underground sit-in.
“The only operations underway are on care and maintenance, with only essential workers reporting for work. The mine is losing millions a day due to the interrupted services,” he added.
AMCU has since taken NUM to the Labour Court to force the union to set a ballot date.
