p 2 25 July 2014, PLATINUM WEEKLY, 11 Marais Street, Tel: 014 592 9686, Fax: 011 252 6669, E-mail: [email protected] Public Execution in Kroondal - Continued from Page 1. His companion, climbed out of the vehicle and tried to run to- victim was stabilised and rushed to a nearby Four suspects were arrested; two shooters a 29-year-old pregnant friend, was shot only wards the store.” hospital. and two accomplices. once... in the belly. Nicola then showed the Platinum Weekly ex- In a statement Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone Colonel Mokgwabone explained, “The sus- Several onlookers were so stunned by this actly where the Volvo SUV was parked and said, “Investigations into the matter continue pects [ages ranging between 25 and 39] were blatant execution at a public place during the where the ‘getaway’ vehicle was waiting. and the motive for the incident is presently un- arrested a few minutes later near the Tharisa afternoon rush, that they did not immediately “We were frightened for our lives and are still known. The incident has not at this stage been mine on the road leading to Marikana. register what was happening. recovering from shock. linked to the murder case which was reported Upon their arrest, the suspects were found in The personnel of one of the shops called out We are just thankful that we could help the on Tuesday, 22 July 2014 in Marikana.” possession of two unlicensed firearms. They to the lady, encouraging her to run towards pregnant lady; she was so worried about her Thanks to the quick response from SAPS, the are expected to appear in the Rustenburg them. Nicola Botha, a manager at Kroondal baby,” Nicola explained. Onlookers contacted four men were arrested shortly after the ex- Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 25 July, facing Liquor City told the Platinum Weekly, “She the Police and Trauma Rescue. The female ecution occurred. charges of murder and attempted murder.” Rustenburg: Human trafficking a reality on our doorstep Marikana Miner, named by Mr. X, Rustenburg – Colonel Sabata Mokwagbone and protecting its victims, and police have to of the North West SAPS communication centre rely on other laws dealing with sexual offences, this week confirmed that two Nigerian nation- employment-related offences, organised crime was shot & killed this week als aged 29 and 30 respectively were arrested and kidnapping to deal with traffickers. - Continued from Page 1. Bongani tioning of names by Mr X,” Mpofu stated. by police in Rustenburg on Thursday, 17 July, What is known though is that various forms of “Bhayi” Mehlonkomo was shot and killed Mpofu said police witness, known only as when a young woman alerted police to the fact trafficking include children being taken from ru- in cold blood in Marikana on Tuesday, 22 “Mr X”, had repeatedly mentioned Bhayi at that she had been kidnapped and forced into ral to urban areas to work in the sex trade or as July 2014. the inquiry, implicating him in the August prostitution. domestic workers and young men from neigh- According to Colonel Sabata Mokgwabo- 2012 murders of two police officers and The 24-year-old woman visited her boyfriend in bouring countries taken to work on farms for ne, Mehlonkomo (38) was walking home Lonmin security guards. Springs and was offered a lift on her way back minimum or no pay at all. on Tuesday afternoon, when the assailants Bhayi was a secretary of the Association on Friday, 11 July. Arriving at the agreed upon he definition used in the Prevention and Com- opened fire and killed him. “The incident of Mineworkers and Construction Union destination, the driver would not stop to let the bating in Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Bill of occurred at approximately 16:30 and the (Amcu) at Lonmin’s Roland Shaft in Mari- woman out of the car, instead bringing her to 2010 includes fraud, deception and other forms assailants opened fire from their vehicle.” kana. Mr X may not be identified and is Rustenburg where she was locked up inside a of coercion as the means by which a trafficker However, according to commission chair- testifying via a remote video link from an house. A few days later she was forced to wear may gain control over a victim trafficked for the person retired Judge Ian Farlam, the Po- undisclosed location. He is under witness a mini-skirt and put to work on a local street un- purpose of forced labour or servitude, not only lice should prevent murders of people protection. The inquiry is investigating the der guard of one of the suspects. sexual exploitation. linked to the Marikana Commission of In- deaths of 44 people during strike-related According to Mokgwabone, she managed to quiry. “There are quite a number of deaths unrest at Lonmin’s operations at Marikana, alert the police and pointed out the 30-year-old already in the Marikana saga. I would ask near Rustenburg, in August 2012. man guarding her, as well as his accomplice the police to redouble their efforts to en- Thirty-four people, mostly striking mine- who arrived by car a while later. Both men were sure violence of this kind is not allowed to workers, were shot dead by police appar- arrested and are expected to soon appear in continue,” he said at the inquiry’s public ently trying to disarm and disperse them the Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court on charges hearings in Pretoria. on 16 August 2012. Seventy others were of human trafficking. According to Dali Mpofu, “There is a grow- wounded and 250 arrested. In the pre- Having been identified as a major human traf- ing concern among the people that I repre- ceding week, 10 people including the two ficking destination, South Africa still has no leg- sent. Speculation in the community is that policemen and two security guards were islation specifically criminalising the “business” the assassination is connected to the men- killed.

- Continued from Page 1. Ac- carrying two occupants while the fire. The passenger’s body was Tragedy on the cording to Colonel Emelda Setl- Land Cruiser was carrying three found next to the vehicle. hako, a Toyata Avanza travelling adults and a child. The driver of the Land cruiser and from Zeerust to Swartruggens, Reportedly both the driver and three of his passengers sustained Swartruggens collided with a Land Cruiser which passenger of the Toyata died on serious injuries but survived. Trag- was travelling in the opposite di- scene. The driver was trapped ically the child later passed away Road rection. The Toyota Avanza was inside the vehicle when it caught at the Swartruggens Hospital. 20 000 Anglo jobs on the line – all thanks to AMCU? Anglo divestment encouraging, say analysts number of companies who want to get into the its Rustenburg and Union mines. Chris Griffith, Rustenburg and North West – Confirmation of platinum industry”. chief executive officer of Amplats, on Monday, the long awaited sale of Anglo American’s loss- New Strategy 21 June, said “We are in the early stages of the making platinum assets in South Africa has been According to Griffith, the “repositioning” of the process, so there’s no specific timeline to com- welcomed by market analysts who attribute the company is part of the restructuring announced pletion at present…. we are already in consulta- rise of the Amplats share price on Monday by early last year when 5 000 jobs were shed. tion with government.” 4.69 percent to R478.74 at the JSE’s closing, to They will in future focus on Mogalakwena, Unki, Griffith and Anglo American chief executive of- the announcement. Twickenham, Amandelbult and some joint ven- ficer, Mark Cutifani, have warned that this was Sharief Pansarey with the Old mutual Invest- tures such as Mototolo, Modkikwa, Kroondal likely to be the outcome of the longest and cost- ment Group said this week “Overall, we view and Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine to deliv- liest strike in history, as the country’s economy this decision as encouraging. These are deep, er value, employing a strategy of mechanisation. was pushed into a first-quarter contraction by high-cost and labour-intensive mines which reap The company’s smelting and refining operations plunging mining output. South Africa accounts very little return… this decision should not be a in Rustenburg and Union will be retained. for more than two-thirds of global platinum ex- surprise, given the Anglo American strategy to South African miner Sibanye Gold which was traction, and Amplats’ post-tax profit for the six achieve a 15 percent return on capital as well formed after Goldfields went through a similar months to the end of June fell to R302m, down as to move away from labour-intensive mining.” restructuring process, has expressed its inter- from R1.15bn the previous year. An economist and researcher at the Alterna- est in adding platinum to its assets and has a More than 70 000 platinum mine workers downed tive Information and Development Centre which reputation for turning around troubled mines. tools on 23 January demanding a R12 500 wage advised the Association of Mineworkers and The sale is seen as in the best interests of both increase for entry level workers, and cost the Construction Union (AMCU) during the five- companies and should be well received by gov- three producers Amplats, Impala Platinum (Im- month long strike in the platinum industry, Dick ernment as helping to preserve jobs. plats) and Lonmin R23.9 billion in lost revenue Forslund, said, “We say good riddance… this Griffith said Amplats would continue its growth and the workers R10.6 billion in forfeited wages is one of the Anglo American subsidiaries that plan for the rest of its local assets over the next by the end of the strike on 24 June. have caused a lot of damage to the South Afri- ten years by investing between R70 billion and Griffith confirmed that the company would retain can economy.” R100 billion in South Africa. the Mogalakwena mechanised open-cast mine Anglo American chief executive officer, Mark 20 000 Job Losses? as well as three other operations and four stakes Curifani, since joining the company had said on Bu there is no denying the fact that the move in joint ventures. Up for sale also will be their more than one occasion that they would move will reduce Amplats’ workforce by a fifth. Contrib- stake in the Pandora joint venture with Lonmin, away from Rustenburg’s labour intensive mines uting a quarter of Amplats’ production of 2 mil- and their stake in the Bokoni joint venture with and its potential for strikes and labour unrest. lion ounces a year, Rustenburg and Union are Atlatsa Resources. Smelting and refining assets On Monday this week, chief executive officer among the country’s oldest platinum operations, in Rustenburg and Union will be retained. Chris Griffith said, “We have engaged with the employing a total of 50 000 miners. Albert Minassian, an Investec analyst in Cape government and now we will talk to our em- The sale would affect these jobs directly by leav- Town said, “I don’t think there will be that many ployees. We are not shutting the mines down, ing about 20 000 people without employment in buyers going around. Even if they sell at a re- but they will have different owners. There are a an already crippled Rustenburg where countless duced price, the shares may rise because families have been suffering from they’re getting rid of something that’s problem- the strike and its after effects for atic.” Amplats shares rose with 1.1 percent and months. were 0.3 percent higher at R458.72 on Monday. Decimating the workforce in But Chris Griffith on Monday said they had “a Rustenburg will no doubt spiral number of suitors” for the assets, and Sibanye R out to supporting industries and Gold still seems to be the most likely bidder, as small businesses, contributing to it made known its intention of adding platinum to Search Find Click the socio-economic crises experi- its gold and uranium assets before, as reported enced during the first half of 2014 in the Platinum Weekly. when financial hardship hit the Meanwhile, the National Union of Mineworkers businesses, events and jobs in community hard. on Monday strongly opposed the proposed sale Workers respond with shock to of the mines, saying by mouth of its general sec- Rustenburg Amplats sale plans retary, Frans Baleni, “Any sale is going to result Workers at the Anglo American in job losses and this is punishment for poor Platinum‘s North West operations workers”. Amplats’ workforce will be diminished show reacted with shock to the news of by more than half to about 27 000 people if the the company’s proposed sale of sale goes through.