Tag: Grootvlei

Blacks worse off now than under apartheid – Julius Malema

Julius Malema

Black people are worse off than they were during the apartheid years, expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema said on Thursday.

“We are worse [off] than during the times of apartheid. We are being killed by our own people. We are being oppressed by our own government,” he told mineworkers at the Aurora mine in Grootvlei, Springs.

More than 1000 mineworkers from the liquidated Aurora Empowerment Systems and the neighbouring Gold One arrived to hear Malema speak.

He said politicians could not help the workers because they benefited from the mines and had shares in them.

“Every mine has a politician inside. They give them money every month, they call it shares. But it is protection fee to protect whites against the workers.”

He said the fact the Aurora crisis had lasted for four years showed there was no leadership in the country. Aurora Empowerment Systems bought the mines when the previous owner, Pamodzi Gold, went into liquidation. Since then workers have not been paid and the mines have been stripped of assets.

“If there was leadership in this country it can’t take four years. Four years shows that there is not leadership. When they (politicians) arrive to represent you, they give them money and they forget you.”

Malema told the workers they should form a committee to speak to the lawyers and present their complaints to the liquidators of Aurora.

He announced what he labelled the start of a revolution in the mining sector.

“We are going to lead a mining revolution in this country. We are going to each mine. We will run these mines ungovernable until the boers come to the table,” he said.

“We want them to give you a minimum wage of R12,500. These people can afford R12,500. Mining in South Africa amounts to trillions of rands.”

About 5000 people had been left jobless at Aurora. It was currently under liquidation.

The prospective buyers of Aurora mines, Gold One, have allegedly fired over 1500 workers who went on strike demanding a minimum wage of R6500.

The miners claimed management then replaced them with contract workers. – Sapa

Malema arrives at Aurora mine

Ululation, whistles and jubilation greeted expelled ANCYL leader Julius Malema’s arrival at the Aurora mine in Grootvlei, Springs, on Thursday.

Workers sang “Ngisebenzela izingane zami emgodini” (I’m working for my children in the mine).

Malema arrived in a Mercedes-Benz Viano minibus dressed in a white shirt, black pants and his trademark beret.

Workers at the mine told Malema how President Jacob Zuma promised to help them, but never honoured his words.

“Zuma was here… took payslips and promised to attend to our problems. He then disappeared and then brought his kids to run the mine,” said one of the workers.

Aurora’s directors include Zuma’s nephew Khulubuse Zuma and former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zondwa Mandela.

Workers told Malema how the liquidators of Aurora Empowerment Systems demolished their hostel, leaving them on the street.

“We were paid R500 and told that was 40 percent of our provident fund,” one of the workers claimed. – Sapa

Malema was expected to address the workers, left without wages for months after Aurora took over the liquidated Pamodzi Gold mines. Aurora’s directors have been accused of stripping the mine’s assets and not paying workers their salaries. An inquiry into the matter is underway.