THE National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) wants its members who are allegedly being held hostage at GoldOne mine in Springs, Ekurhuleni, to be rescued.
NUM has confirmed that more than 543 of its members are allegedly still being held hostage underground, allegedly by workers affiliated with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).
NUM representative Mlulameli Mweli told Daily Sun on Tuesday, 24 October, that it has been three days since their members have been underground after they were allegedly held hostage by more than 20 people who are believed to be Amcu members.
He said seven people were injured after allegedly being assaulted. He said the mine management sent a paramedic and the security to go and rescue the workers and assist those who were injured, but they didn't come back and were also allegedly held hostage.
Meanwhile, Amcu general secretary Jeffrey Mphahlele had earlier insisted that the night-shift workers didn't come from underground voluntarily.
He said they decided the previous night that they were not going to come out, and to them, it looks like a concerted effort.
"That was a voluntary situation. Now management is trying to play it, saying it's a hostage and people are being held against their will. So, we are not sure of that situation at this point," he said.
Mweli denied Mphahlele's claims, saying people were not underground by choice. He said the paramedic who was allegedly being held underground was neither a member of the union nor a worker.
ALSO READ | Over 500 miners allegedly held hostage!Opens in new window
"We've tried to sit down with management to have amicable solutions without any success," he said.
He said they had organised 20 security guards from NUM to assist in beefing up their team.
"It was said that we can't go underground because we are not safe to go there. But so far nothing, has been done. All we want is to have our members rescued," he said.
He said their biggest concern was that their members had been underground for three days without any food.
"Some of them are diabetic. Those people are going to die because of their negligence," he said.
Police spokesman Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said officers were on standby to monitor any eventualities as the management of the mine was in talks with the union.
In a statement released on Monday afternoon 24 October, GoldOne spokesman Jonathan Hericourt said the company remained dedicated to resolving the situation in a manner that prioritises the well-being and safety of all the employees.
