EFF statement on the Minister of Mineral Resources order to Genclore to close its coal mine operation
5 August 2015
The EFF welcomes the Minister of Mineral Resources, Advocate Ngoako Ramatlodi, decision to order F to suspend all its operations at a coal mine because the company continue to disregard the country’s labour and mining laws. We welcome the initiative by the Minister not to wait for the mining crisis to deepen any further (see BDLive report).
The decision to order Glencore to close its operations is a correct decision and a step towards a right direction. It is about time the Minister accept that mining capital is not his friends nor friends of South Africa, but friends of profit and profit only.
For a very long time now mining capital, Glencore and Lonmin in particular have been very arrogant because the Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa used his political influence to protect them when acted illegally. All mining companies have failed to meet the mining charter, social labour plans, and continue to breach and disregard the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act without any noticeable consequences.
If the Minister truly want to stabilize the mining industry and make it the foundation and backbone of the South Africa economy, this is an unprecedented opportunity for the state to take a greater and strategic control of the mining industry through nationalization of mines. If the Minister does not take his decision a step further, the likelihood of the mining industry stabilizing will always remain a pipedream.
Instead what will happen is that, mining capital will continue to retrench lots and lots of people, in thousands. Lots of families will go to bed with empty stomach, mining communities will be reduced to nothing but empty ghost towns and business that depends on mine operations will be severely affected. Jobs will not only be lost in the mining sector, but also all businesses who depend on procurements to and from mines will be forced to retrench workers.
The EFF call on the Minister to be more decisive and cancel all Glencore mining rights in South Africa. The EFF further call on the Minister to issue a similar order to Anglo America, BHP Billiton, EXXARO, Lonmin and all other mining companies who have failed to meet the mining charter, social labour plans and continue to breach and disregard the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act with immediate effect.
The EFF remains resolute and convinced that the only solution to the entrenched mining crisis is to nationalize mines.
Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, August 5 2015
