Share

Motlanthe upbeat on mine rescue talks

Pretoria - The meeting between government, mining houses and trade unions in Pretoria "will leave no stone unturned" in a bid to resolve problems in the mining industry, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said on Friday.

"We will start with those problems that require immediate attention and tackle them until we find solutions," Motlanthe told journalists at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

"We will leave no stone unturned to ensure every problem identified is resolved."

President Jacob Zuma has tasked Motlanthe with leading the interactions with the unions and mining companies.

The industry has been plagued by strikes and violence, especially in the Rustenburg platinum belt.

Top officials from Uasa, Solidarity, the National Council of Trade Unions, the Federation of Unions of SA, the Chamber of Mines, and the SA Mining Development Association were also at the meeting.

Officials from the National Union of Mineworkers were led by its president Senzeni Zokwana.

Also at the meeting was the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, led by its president Joseph Mathunjwa.

Amcu halted its plan to embark on a strike at Lonmin over recognition rights as a majority union.

Officials of the Congress of SA Trade Unions were not at the meeting as they were attending an International Labour Organisation conference abroad, Motlanthe said.

Several chief executives of mining houses, including Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan of AngloGold Ashanti [JSE:ANG], Sipho Nkosi of Exxaro Resources [JSE:EXX], Simon Scott of Lonmin [JSE:LON], Graham Briggs of Harmony Gold Mining Company [JSE:HAR], and Chris Griffiths of Anglo American Platinum, were attending.

Motlanthe said he was "optimistic" that the parties would reach a solution.

"We will pull together all loose strands, and I am optimistic we will find each other and agree on the issues affecting the industry."

He said the parties would also tackle long-term solutions for the industry.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.90
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.85
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders