Kwatsaduza: Gold One Mine AMCU leader in Springs, Musa Khalipha, was assaulted by two men known to him for refusing to give up the fight to elect NUM as the union representing the miners on Friday afternoon.
It is alleged that Khalipha was insulted and threatened via a phone call, and just two hours after the call, the two men cornered him three houses from his home.
Khalipha said he received a phone call threatening him to stop pushing for the election of new union leaders in the Springs Gold Mine.
“The caller said he has been warning me several times, and I am refusing to listen,” said Khalipha.
While at a local car wash, Khalipha saw the two men parking nearby.
“One came to my car and splashed my face with a drink, and after he pulled me out of the car, he continued to strangle and assault me,” said Khalipha.
When Khalipha attempted to fight back, he was assaulted with a beer bottle that struck him twice on his neck and once in his face.
It is alleged that when a crowd started to gather, the two men drove off and later returned armed with guns, apparently threatening to kill Khalipha, but he had already left the scene.
Khalipha added that on Saturday morning, he received a call from one of the men who pleaded with him to drop the charges that he laid after the incident.
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“I am not going to withdraw the charges. They assaulted me and threatened my life. They must pay for their crime. I fear for my safety and that of my family because they threatened to return to finish what they started,” he added.
Springs Police spokesperson Sergeant Themba Tshabalala confirmed that they are investigating a case of assault.
“No one has been arrested, and police investigations are underway,” he said.
Last Monday, 543 miners refused to resurface and waged a three-day-long strike underground with the hopes of forcing their employer and NUM to agree to hold an election to vote for a new union to lead the miners. As it stands, NUM has 110 members, while AMCU has 1,700.
