Mila
Honorary Master
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Striking-miners-stole-cable-20100416
Johannesburg - Six mineworkers at Aurora Empowerment Systems' Grootvlei operations have allegedly stolen R16m worth of cabling, the company said on Friday.
Aurora spokesperson Sheshile Ngubane said by phone that it would take a while to put the Grootvlei mine back into operation not only due to shaft flooding but also due to cable theft.
"Six mineworkers were arrested for stealing our cables," Ngubane said.
He said more arrests would probably follow as the striking mineworkers had involved themselves in "criminal activities".
He also confirmed that unpaid wages for February had been paid to workers at both Aurora's Orkney and Grootvlei operations.
"March salaries are not on the table... they must go back to work and then we'll discuss March salaries... they've been on strike so they're not going to get full March salaries.
"The cabling is after all worth more than the March salaries," Ngubane said.
He added that while most wanted to return to work, the few who did not wish to do so were intimidating others.
Orkney operations 'reasonable'
Ngubane said if the mineworkers did not wish to return to work, they should inform Aurora which, according to the spokesperson, has been supplying the striking workers with food and water.
"If they're running out of excuses for the strike, they must just say so."
He confirmed that the Orkney operations were "reasonable" and that restarting production there would not be difficult.
Meanwhile the major union at Aurora, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said in a statement earlier on Friday that workers at both Grootvlei and Orkney would not return to work as many remained unpaid "despite several promises by the company".
"The company has yesterday (Thursday) announced that it has paid all its workers but only a few banking with Teba Bank were paid."
The NUM added that its members at Aurora were still owed 1.5% of their salary for February as well as monies for March.
"Category A workers have also not been paid," Frasy Namanyana, the NUM's chairperson at Grootvlei said.
Indebted
The NUM said workers at Aurora Orkney had also vowed not to return to work until they were paid their March wages.
President Jacob Zuma's nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, is Aurora's chairperson and former President Nelson Mandela's grandson, Zondwa Mandela, is its managing director.
Last week, mineworkers at the Orkney operations downed tools once again over the non-payment of their March wages, while last month mineworkers began industrial action at Grootvlei to protest against non-payment of wages and job loss threats.
Aurora took over the mines from the liquidated Pamodzi Gold late last year.
According to reports, Aurora owes the Pamodzi Gold liquidators around R207m for the East Rand mine and R390m for the Orkney operations of which only R10m has been paid.
