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Johannesburg - Hundreds of striking workers at Gold Fields [JSE:GFI] KDC West Mine in Carletonville began gathering on a koppie outside the mine property on Wednesday afternoon.
Miners, who have been on strike for three weeks, carried sticks, pipes and axes as they made their way along the long road leading up to the hill.
"We are not here for fighting," said one miner who identified himself only as Fasie.
"We will stay here. We have done nothing. We have been kicked out."
Fasie said the miners had been gathering on the hill since the night before and that they would stay there for as long as it took.
Skips along the road were overturned and some were set on fire.
Helicopters circled the area. Mine management were driving in convoy in security vehicles along the road below the hill.
The convoy was using a loudspeaker to tell the strikers that they had food and water.
"No, there is poison in it," said one miner, while others shouted "Voetsek, fuck off."
Miners set up a blockade made of rocks against the convoy. The convoy eventually began reversing.
The fate of hostel-dwelling workers at Gold Fields hangs in the balance pending a court decision on an application by mine management to evict them.
Company spokesperson Sven Lunsche said the urgent application, filed in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, was sought as a safety measure.
"The hostels had become a hot-bed of violence and we felt there was an immediate threat of danger to hostels and mine property," he said.
"We want to create a safety valve by evacuating the hostel."
He said about 5 000 of its 13 000 KDC workers lived in hostels.
Earlier, National Union of Mineworkers spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said the strikers were gathering on the hill because they had been "chased out" of the hostels.
"Where must they meet?" he asked.
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Miners, who have been on strike for three weeks, carried sticks, pipes and axes as they made their way along the long road leading up to the hill.
"We are not here for fighting," said one miner who identified himself only as Fasie.
"We will stay here. We have done nothing. We have been kicked out."
Fasie said the miners had been gathering on the hill since the night before and that they would stay there for as long as it took.
Skips along the road were overturned and some were set on fire.
Helicopters circled the area. Mine management were driving in convoy in security vehicles along the road below the hill.
The convoy was using a loudspeaker to tell the strikers that they had food and water.
"No, there is poison in it," said one miner, while others shouted "Voetsek, fuck off."
Miners set up a blockade made of rocks against the convoy. The convoy eventually began reversing.
The fate of hostel-dwelling workers at Gold Fields hangs in the balance pending a court decision on an application by mine management to evict them.
Company spokesperson Sven Lunsche said the urgent application, filed in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, was sought as a safety measure.
"The hostels had become a hot-bed of violence and we felt there was an immediate threat of danger to hostels and mine property," he said.
"We want to create a safety valve by evacuating the hostel."
He said about 5 000 of its 13 000 KDC workers lived in hostels.
Earlier, National Union of Mineworkers spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said the strikers were gathering on the hill because they had been "chased out" of the hostels.
"Where must they meet?" he asked.
* Follow Fin24 on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.
