Optimum Mine victims suffer the effects of State Capture in silence

30 November 2018

Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Team One South Africa Members Natasha Mazzone and Geordin Hill-Lewis and the DA Mpumalanga Premier Candidate, Jane Sithole conducted an oversight inspection at Optimum Mine in Middelburg and engaged with the Pullens Hope community, to see first-hand the effects of State Capture.

The Optimum inspection was motivated by the ongoing investigation into State Capture through the Zondo Commission and it was further prompted by the latest rounds of power outages which have shaken South Africa as of late.

Optimum was leveraged out of Glencore’s hands by failing ANC officials straight into the hands of the Guptas’, Tegeta. The mine is now in business rescue and in addition to this, the instability at Optimum Mine has put its coal delivery to Eskom at risk.

Eskom has a serious coal shortage with a number of power plants having less than 10 days of coal left. The power utility has been paying the mine nearly R1 billion for coal that hasn’t been received, despite Eskom flagging that its coal supply was at record lows which has fuelled the risk of load shedding.

“Tegeta has pillaged Optimum. There are workers here that haven’t been paid for 2-3 months, we’ve seen retrenchments of workers and the country is experiencing load-shedding because coal is not being mined. We are here because Optimum Coal Mine is the face of state capture” said Mazzone.

December will be the third month with no pay for these workers and the consequences of this extend far beyond a barren Christmas dinner table and a silent new year spent indoors.

Mazzone commented that “It is also of utmost importance, that these rich fat cats are brought to book - they have been earning money while workers who have done their jobs diligently have not been paid.”

“Under a DA-led government, all those who are found guilty of corruption spends a minimum of 15 years behind bars. We cannot allow those implicated in corruption get off scot free, whilst the victims of their crimes suffer in silence. We will absolutely raise this in Parliament, the DA is the voice of the people and we will represent those who are suffering as a result of State Capture”.

State Capture under the watch of the failing ANC has had crippling effects on our economy, our electricity supply and affecting ordinary coal workers who cannot afford to put food on their tables or books in their children’s school bags.

South Africa needs real change that puts the people first by stopping corruption and building One South Africa for All.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Spokesperson on State Capture, 30 November 2018