Three people have been arrested in connection with Friday morning’s violence at Xstrata’s Thorncliff chrome mine at Steelpoort, Limpopo. Roads were blockaded, a bus and a truck were burnt and several vehicles damaged during the protest.

Police suspect that the perpetrators are former mineworkers who were not reemployed after being dismissed during an illegal strike. Police say the suspects were arrested near the scene of the violence outside Xstrata mine. They appear in the Sekhukhune magistrate’s court on Monday next week.

Xstrata’s mine management dismissed about one-housand-600 workers who engaged in an unprotected strike over alleged racism two months ago. Xstrata has since advertised their positions.

Spokesperson for the Workers and Socialist Party, Elmon Magedi says the unrest has spread to the local community.

“The battle that started as a war against racism has been escalated to a battle between community members, because the mine has decided to advertise post that were occupied by brothers and sisters of those who are unemployed in the community; and unfortunately it has been aggravated by mine bosses who refuse to meet with the leadership of community under the cap of AMCU.”
Magedi says the dismissed workers are still gathering at the gate of the mine everyday. He says when management advertised their posts, tens of thousands of people applied.

“Sixty thousand people have applied for posts of about 1000 workers, but they have not yet started with their work. We don’t know why did xstrata go to an extent of advertising the post, knowing very well that the workers are willing to work in that particular mine because there have been gathering everyday, just at the gate of the mine,” explains Magedi.
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