Bleak Christmas for Aurora miners
Times LIVE 12 Dec 2011
RETHA GROBBELAAR and SIPHO MASOMBUKA | 2011-12-11
Desperate Aurora miners, facing their third black Christmas, are circulating a letter in which they plead for food and clothes – they allege that the company’s directors have used “delaying tactics” to avoid paying them.
“We [will have] a black Christmas for [the third time] this year: without food, clothes, toys or school uniforms. So we are please asking you to help us with whatever you’ve got,” reads a letter written on behalf of the 43 miners who still live at the stripped Grootvlei Mine, in Springs, on the East Rand.
The company’s directors – who include President Jacob Zuma’s nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zondwa Mandela, and Zuma’s legal adviser, Michael Hulley – are delaying the company’s pre-liquidation inquiry at the Pretoria High Court.
Khulubuse Zuma on Friday asked for a postponement of the hearing, at which he was expected to testify, because he had, he said, just appointed a new legal team.
On Thursday, Zondwa Mandela failed to appear, leading the liquidators of Pamodzi Gold – the company that owned the mines before Aurora – to lay criminal charges against him.
One of the Pamodzi liquidators, Johan Engelbrecht, said: “Mandela is making a mockery of the whole process.”
Gideon du Plessis, deputy general secretary of trade union Solidarity, welcomed the charging of Mandela.
“Aurora’s directors have always believed they are above the law and untouchable,” he said.
Du Plessis said Zuma was using “delaying tactics”.
National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka also welcomed the move .
“We don’t understand why the criminal justice system is allowing them to dilly-dally. They are playing games. We are very unhappy.”
Engelbrecht said Mandela would be required to testify in a magistrate’s court, which would have the power to order his arrest if he failed to appear .
Hundreds of former Aurora workers and their families face their third year in poverty.
Four months ago, an assets audit by provisional liquidators found that the Aurora mines had been stripped of their assets to the extent that huge capital expenditure would be needed to restore them to their original condition.
Du Plessis said Aurora made about R127-million from the sale of Grootvlei gold mine, and about R48-million from selling equipment and scrap between April last year and April this year.
An investment of about R12-million by Swiss investment company Global Emerging Markets, which was to have been used to list Aurora on the Johannesburg stock exchange, has allegedly disappeared. Aurora was not listed.
Miners such as Pedro Mundau Mandlate, 55, a father of two who was a supervisor at Grootvlei, has not received his full salary for more than two years.
The families still living at Grootvlei are barely surviving, with no running water or electricity. They live in hope that someone will offer them work.
About 300 people live at Aurora’s Orkney mine, near Klerksdorp.
Mandlate said he was “clueless” about how to make Christmas special for his two daughters – Maria, 16, and Sonia, 13.
“There is nothing here. I can’t imagine Christmas.”
His wife, Maria, is also without work. They, along with others, plead with shop owners in Springs for donations with which to buy their children Christmas presents. So far they have received only a R500 voucher.
Mandlate said Zuma and Mandela “have everything” to enjoy the festive season.
“They’ll have Christmas with their kids and they’re happy. What about us?”
The last payment he received from the mine was R8000 about a year ago.
But one of Aurora’s directors, Thulani Ngubane – who is expected to testify when the inquiry resumes today – said the company did not owe the miners anything.
“You should be asking the liquidators about the prospects of the miners because we are not keeping them there.
“We have been asked by the liquidators to move out of the mine and we paid them [the miners] all that was due to them.
“We don’t owe them a cent and you should ask them what they are still doing there,” Ngubane said.
Elias van Rensburg, 61, who lives in an office on Orkney mine’s grounds, said there was “absolutely nothing” left at the mine.
“We have nowhere to go. People live here because it’s a roof over your head.
“There isn’t even maize meal for porridge. If you get food you share it.”
Zuma and Mandela have been accused of delaying the inquiry – which will pave the way for the miners to receive what is owed them – since it started in July.
In September, Zuma said he wanted to testify in Zulu and a translator had to be arranged. In November, he did not appear and claimed that he was ill with complications related to his obesity.
After asking for a postponement of the hearing on Friday, Engelbrecht said Zuma would make “a full undertaking to cooperate” and would appear in court on January 16.
Zuma, Mandela and Hulley were not available for comment.
■Readers who would like to help the destitute miners should call Solidarity’s Helping Hand on 012-644-4390.
