COSATU welcomes the arrest of the perpetrators of violence in the mining sector in North West

12 February 2018

The Congress of South African Trade Unions welcomes the arrest of the perpetrators of violence in the mining sector in North West ,during Operation Takedown. The federation has been lamenting over these ongoing assassinations in the mining sector and the Platinum belt in particular. We welcome the move by the police to nip this problem in the bud and we hope that all the perpetrators of violence in the mining sector will be thrown behind bars.

Since the Marikana tragedy, five years ago, the spectre of violence has continued to haunt the mining sector and the Platinum belt in particular. It is a sad reality that many workers have died at the hands of other workers under the leadership of trade union warlords in the mining sector over the last five years. The SAPS needs to deal decisively with all those who continue to fan the fires and feed the backward culture of violence in the mining sector. The vigilante tendencies of some union leaders have created orphans and widows.

The mine bosses need to also acknowledge and confront the fact that in their quest to dislodge the NUM and weaken the trade union movement, they created this crisis of violence in the mining sector. They are primarily responsible for fostering discord and violence in many workplaces in the sector. Government needs to ensure that we have a credible leadership in the mining sector to deal with the myriad of problems facing the sector.

Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 12 February 2018