Maputo - The government is taking the initiative to end a crippling platinum sector strike now in its eighteenth week, new Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said on Thursday.
Nene told reporters on the sidelines of an IMF conference in Maputo that both the platinum companies and the striking Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) needed to realise the negative impact of the strike on the economy, and make compromises to reach a resolution.
An inter-ministerial technical team is expected to meet labour union Amcu and mining bosses on Thursday to discuss the strike in the platinum mining sector.
On Wednesday, newly appointed Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi announced the establishment of an inter-governmental technical team to resolve the strike in the platinum mining sector.
The team is made up of officials of the departments of mineral resources, labour and Treasury, who will be supported by representatives of the mining companies and Amcu.
"They will interrogate all the information (including the figures) provided by both parties and report back by the end of the day on what is possible," said Ramatlhodi.