Phalaborwa residents on a rampage

Makhushane, Maseke and Mashishimale residents went on a rampage on Sunday evening burning to ashes three Sullwald trucks, a Mafoko Security Services bakkie and a bakkie belonging to an unknown white man at Makhushane fourways.

The rampage first started on Friday evening where Vuthi My Boet buses were stopped by angry residents from ferrying PMC employees to work, proceeding to Saturday and Sunday forcing PMC to instruct its employees to use their own vehicles to report for duty while the buses have since been moved at Boelang deport and kept in the mine.

The Giyani crowd control police officers fired rubber bullets at over 250 Makhushane residents on Monday at around 08:00 while residents were trying to block Makhushane main on the t-junction leading to Moshate and Dairy as police were busy patrolling learners to their respective schools.

While police officers and traffic police were busy clearing the road and directing terrified motorists, two Great North Transport buses carrying over 400 Maseke and Mashishimale residents disembarked at the Mica R40 bridge at 08:35.

Police officers and traffic cops had to run for cover as the angry mob came running towards them carrying tyres and petrol bombs, but eight minutes later a police Nyala which was initially stationed at Makhushane t-junction patrolling learners to their respective schools, quickly came and police started firing what sounded like live ammunition and within a couple of seconds the mob ran towards Selati River.

Two seemingly overweight females and one tall and slender male were arrested at 08:52 and 08:57 respectively.

Some of the striking residents told the Herald that PMC/PC is undermining them as they are talks of a new steel plant to be opened in Mpumalanga instead of Phalaborwa.

“Enough is enough! We have been engaging with PMC for a very long time and they don’t want to listen to us. This is our land and we cannot allow those Chinese and their puppets to milk our land and in return our people still living in abject poverty. We need local people to be employed ahead of outsiders and for nepotism to be a thing of the past,” she said.

One of the protesters said they have given PMC Human Resources officials seven working days to explain to them why they keep on employing outsiders ahead of locals and failure to adhere their homes will be burnt to ashes.

Efforts to get hold of the unemployed forums leaders were fruitless at the time of going to print as they were said to be preparing for an urgent meeting with Foskor, PMC and Transnet at 12:00. At the time of going to print PMC Manager: Corporate Affairs, Hulisani Nemaxwi Hulisani hadn’t responded to our questions and we also failed to derive comment from both Sullwald and Mafoko.