Death still stalks Marikana, as union recruiter gunned down in broad daylight

Fear has once again gripped the platinum belt in Marikana, North West, following the murder of volunteer recruiter for The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) Malibongwe Mdazo.

The union believes his death may be directly linked to his attempts to recruit workers for the union at Implats mine, and have warned police that failure to arrest his killers could lead to further violence, should unionists start defending themselves.

Marikana hasn’t known much seen peace since police gunned down 34 miners and wounded 78 near Lonmin’s platinum mine in August 2012, with a further 10 people reportedly killed in the past eight years.

In the latest incident, unionist Mdazo was shot multiple times, in broad daylight and in full view of other delegates during break of a meeting to verify Numsa’s membership numbers at the offices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in Rustenburg on Thursday.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Sello Kwena has ordered a full investigation into the attack that left three others seriously wounded.

Ironically, Mdazo was killed just days after the commemoration of the Marikana massacre, like Tholakele “Bhele” Dlunga, who was gunned down on 17 October 2017, a day after the commemoration.

Dlunga, a rock drill operator from Lonmin’s Karee 4 Belt who helped organise workers in the lead-up to the 2012 strike, was shot in his shack in Nkaneng, bringing to six the number of people assassinated in Marikana and Mooinooi in just three months.

The then branch chairperson of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu)at the time, was shot five times left Wonderkop stadium in Marikana in July 2017, at height of violent union rivalry.

In June 2019, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria sentenced Samkelo Mkhutshwa, 38, and Simphiwe Silwane, 36, to 25 years in jail for attempting to kill Mdazo.

Silwane was also slapped with life imprisonment for killing Mveliso Biyela, who was gunned down in October 2017 as he walked down the road with his wife and son, returning from visiting a friend at a nearby hostel.

The same gun was used few days earlier on Amcu shop steward Msidiseni Kwenene, who survived a hail of bullets while on his way to work. 

Victim was at forefront of fight for workers’ rights

Numsa has said that Mdazo, who was among those in the forefront of the recent strike where the union was challenging contractors at Implats to grant organizational rights.

At the time of his murder, he was recruiting workers employed by contractors at Implats mine.

The meeting he was attending at the CCMA was for verification of Numsa membership numbers for recognition at Newrack, one of the contract companies at Implats.

“Numsa is very clear that the murder of comrade Mdazo is as a result of him recruiting workers at Implats, and we believe his work is the reason his life was taken,” General Secretary Irvin Jim said.

He said the killers must be arrested before they kill more people just because they chose to voluntarily join Numsa as the union of their choice, saying Rustenburg can not be allowed to become a no-go area for unions.

“It is so crucial that the police must put an investigation team together that ensures that such criminals are taken out of society, as we cannot afford any more loss of life. If they fail to act, they will leave us with no choice but to call on our members to defend themselves,” Jim charged.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said the motive for the attack was yet to be determined and no arrests has been made.

siphom@citizen.co.za