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Returning miners blocked by Amcu


Marikana – About 1 000 stick-wielding strikers gathered outside Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine in South Africa on Wednesday, preventing workers from breaking the longest and costliest bout of industrial action the sector’s history.

Some of the protesting strikers, clad in the green shirts of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), told Reuters they were there to block anyone from reaching the shafts.

The rival National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said its members are unable to return to work because of Amcu intimidation. Four people have been murdered around the platinum mines in the last four days although police have made no arrests.

“The miners cannot get to work because the intimidation is very high,” Sydwell Dokolwana, NUM’s regional secretary on the platinum belt, told Reuters.

London-listed Lonmin [JSE:LON] had been aiming for a “mass return” of workers in a bid to end a crippling 16-week strike that has also hit rivals Anglo American Platinum [JSE:AMS] and Impala Platinum [JSE:IMP].

North West police on Wednesday morning began escorting buses to mines on the platinum belt as some striking miners returned to work.

A police spokesperson told the eNCA television channel that officers were out in force and were on hand to escort those who wished to return to the mine gates.

“Buses and vehicles taking them to work will receive a police escort to make sure they are protected,” police spokesperson Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.
“We are escorting buses that are transporting workers to work – those who want to go back to work – and protecting people,” Ngubane said.

“Everything is in place. Police are out and about doing their work.”

The companies have been taking their latest wage offer directly to Amcu’s members after wage talks with the union collapsed three weeks ago.

The strike has halted 40% of normal global output and dented the country’s already sluggish growth. It has cost the companies about R14bn in revenue and workers have lost over R6bn in earnings.
Lonmin warned that it might implement restructuring that could lead to a loss of jobs if striking mineworkers failed to return to work on Wednesday.
The company set May 14 as the deadline for employees to end the almost four-month-old strike.
Fears of friction between strikers and miners wishing to return to work arose when Amcu objected to employers approaching miners with their wage offer directly in a bid to end the strike. On Monday, police said three miners were killed and six others stabbed while on their way to work.
A 60-year-old miner had been stabbed to death, another miner died after being set alight, and a third mineworker and his wife were strangled to death.
SAPA

Dladla and Chiefs start contract talks


Kaizer Chiefs and Josta Dladla will soon restart contract talks following the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport decision to clear him of any wrongdoing.
The 34-year-old tested positive for Methylhexaneamine after the Soweto Derby back in October of last year, and was banned from playing once the results were made public earlier this year.
For http://www.soccerladuma.co.za

Former police spokesperson back in court


Durban – Former KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge, who is accused of fraudulently presenting a fake matric certificate when he joined the police, is expected to appear in the Durban Regional Court.

He faces three charges of fraud.

Two of Mdunge’s fraud charges relate to his presentation of the alleged fraudulent certificate to the SA Police Service when he joined the police in 1987.

He resigned last year, after the allegation surfaced in September, and was arrested in October.

The third fraud charges relates to his presentation of the alleged fraudulent certificate to the University of South Africa to obtain admission for a course to obtain a National Diploma in Police Administration.

In March a provincial education department official told the court that the department had no record of a matric certificate for Mdunge, and the one Mdunge claimed was his had been “tampered unlawfully”.

SAPA

World’s oldest sperm found in Australia


Sydney – The world’s oldest and best-preserved sperm, dating back 17 million years, has been unearthed in Australia, scientists said on Wednesday.

The sperm from an ancient species of tiny shrimp was discovered at the Riversleigh World Heritage Fossil Site, an area in the far north of the state of Queensland where many extraordinary prehistoric Australian animals have previously been found.

They include giant, toothed platypuses and flesh-eating kangaroos.

Mike Archer, from the University of New South Wales School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, who has been excavating at Riversleigh for 35 years, said the sperm was an exciting find.

“These are the oldest fossilised sperm ever found in the geological record”, he said.

The sperm are thought to have been longer than the male’s entire body, but were tightly coiled up inside the sexual organs of the fossilised freshwater crustaceans, known as ostracods.

“We have become used to delightfully unexpected surprises in what turns up there”, he added of Riversleigh.

“But the discovery of fossil sperm, complete with sperm nuclei, was totally unexpected. It now makes us wonder what other types of extraordinary preservation await discovery in these deposits.”

A research team led by Archer collected the fossils in 1988 and sent them to John Neil, a specialist ostracod researcher at La Trobe University in Melbourne, who realised they contained fossilised soft tissues.

He drew this to the attention of several European specialists, including Renate Matzke-Karasz from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and Paul Tafforeau from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France.

A microscopic study revealed the fossils contained the preserved internal organs of the ostracods, including their sexual organs.

Within these were the almost perfectly preserved giant sperm cells, and within them, the nuclei that once contained the animals’ chromosomes and DNA.

The researchers estimate the sperm are about 1.3mm long, slightly longer than the shrimp.

Archer said that about 17 million years ago the site where the fossils were found was a cave in the middle of a vast, biologically diverse rainforest.

“Tiny ostracods thrived in a pool of water in the cave that was continually enriched by the droppings of thousands of bats”, he said.

His UNSW colleague Suzanne Hand, a specialist in extinct bats and their ecological role in Riversleigh’s ancient environments, said the steady rain of droppings would have led to high levels of phosphorous in the water.

This could have aided mineralisation of the soft tissues.

“This amazing discovery at Riversleigh is echoed by a few examples of soft-tissue preservation in fossil bat-rich deposits in France”, she said.

“So the key to eternal preservation of soft tissues may indeed be some magic ingredient in bat droppings.”
AFP

Pilferers’ paradise at Newlands?


Cape Town – A return to the starting line-up for Deon Fourie, most probably in the place of injured Scarra Ntubeni at hooker, may well be a blessing in disguise for the Stormers against the Force at Newlands on Saturday (17:05 kick-off).

Throwing in to the lineout is an erratic string to Fourie’s bow, which is probably something that thwarts any Springbok aspirations in the slot, but he is a tigerish and tireless presence in general play … and will need to be a livewire once more given that the Stormers’ Super Rugby opponents this weekend are led by a man with some “killer stats” at present in the form of captain and flanker Matt Hodgson.
For more http://www.news24.com

Oscar: Judge Masipa set to rule on mental evaluation


Pretoria – State prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria if Oscar Pistorius did not receive a proper mental evaluation, his defence team could later appeal on the basis of a disturbed mental condition.

Nel asked on Tuesday for Pistorius to be sent for a mental evaluation after a psychiatrist told the Paralympian’s murder trial he had an anxiety disorder.

He argued he wanted to prevent the 27-year-old sprinter, who faces life in prison if convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, from later appealing on the basis of a disturbed mental condition.

Nel told the court there was a “reasonable possibility” that Pistorius suffers from a mental illness, adding that without a proper evaluation the case could later be appealed over Pistorius’s mental health.

If granted, the evaluation would likely further delay a trial now in its 31st day. Defence lawyer Barry Roux has argued against the motion, saying it was “premature” to have the evaluation done now, as he planned to call other witnesses.

Judge Thokozile Masipa adjourned the court early on Tuesday to consider the prosecutor’s request and is expected to rule on it on Wednesday.

Defence witness and forensic psychiatrist Dr Merryll Vorster testified that Pistorius suffers from Generalised Anxiety Disorder after having his legs amputated at 11 months.

A long-term condition

The anxiety disorder, a long-term condition that causes feelings of worry or fear in a wide range of situations, has worsened as Pistorius has got older, Vorster said.

She has said his parents’ divorce when he was a child would have added to his general feelings of anxiety and insecurity.

After the divorce, Pistorius was brought up by his mother, who died of cancer when he was aged 15. He has frequently spoken of the difficulty her death caused him.

The state has sought to portray the track star as a gun-obsessed hothead who killed model and law graduate Steenkamp in a fit of rage.

The defence has argued that Pistorius had a heightened sense of fear and vulnerability because he was on his stumps when he thought he heard an intruder in his bathroom.

Pistorius has denied he killed Steenkamp in cold blood, saying he shot four times at the toilet door of his luxury Pretoria home to protect himself from what he thought was an intruder.

Reuters

100s remain trapped in mine blast, 201 dead


Soma – At least 201 people were killed and hundreds more remained trapped underground after an explosion at a coal mine in western Turkey, the government said on Wednesday, warning that rescue efforts faced a race against time.

The toll has risen rapidly since Tuesday’s disaster in the province of Manisa, when a total of 787 mineworkers became trapped inside the mine.

Rescue operations continued overnight for the hundreds of people still underground. Of those rescued alive, 80 were injured, four of them seriously, said Energy Minister Taner Yildiz.

“We fear the number could rise even further because those who came to help out may be among the injured and affected by the smoke,” he told reporters.

“As the time passes, we are very quickly heading to an unfavourable outcome,” he added.

Earlier a security source told AFP that there were pockets in the mine, one of which was open so rescuers were able to reach the workers, but the second was blocked with workers trapped inside.

The explosion was believed to have been triggered by a faulty electrical transformer at around 12:30 GMT on Tuesday.

Hundreds of people gathered around the explosion site as rescuers brought out injured workers, who were coughing and struggling to breathe due to the dust.

Sena Isbiler, a mother of one of the miners, stood on top of piles of wood, craning her neck to see who was being led out of the mine.

“I have been waiting for my son since early afternoon,” she told AFP.

“I haven’t heard anything about him yet.”

Arum Unzar, a colleague of the missing miners said he had lost a friend previously “but this is enormous.”

“All the victims are our friends,” he said as he wept.

“We are a family and today that family is devastated. We have had very little news and when it does come it’s very bad,” he added.

Fire officials were trying to pump clean air into the mine shaft for those who remained trapped some two kilometres (one mile) below the surface and four kilometres from the entrance.

Late on Tuesday evening injured people were still emerging from the collapsed mine — some walking, others being carried by rescue workers while being given oxygen.

Nearby, security officers tried to keep ambulance routes clear to ensure help could reach the victims.

The mining company Soma Komur issued a statement saying the mine had maximum safety measures.

“Unfortunately, some of our workers have lost their lives in this tragic accident,” the statement said.

“The accident happened despite maximum safety measures and inspections, but we have been able to take prompt action,” it added.

Energy Minister Yildiz promised that if it was discovered that any negligence was to blame for the disaster “we will not turn a blind eye to it. We will do whatever necessary including all administrative and legal steps.”

– ‘Time isn’t in our favour’ –
Turkey’s ministry of labour and social security said the mine was last inspected on March 17 and was found to be compliant with safety regulations.

But Oktay Berrin, a miner, said workers were not protected underground.

“There is no security in this mine,” he told AFP.

“The unions are just puppets and our management only cares about money.”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said he would arrive in Soma on Wednesday after cancelling a trip to Albania.

Speaking in Ankara, the leader expressed his “heartfelt condolences” to the families of those who died.

“Some of the workers have been rescued and I hope we will be able to rescue the others,” Erdogan said.

Energy Minister Yildiz told journalists in Soma that a team of 400 people were involved in the rescue effort and that the main cause of the deaths was carbon monoxide and dioxide poisoning.

“Time isn’t working in our favour. We need to get them out. We could be in a troubled situation,” he said.

The miners are all thought to have gas masks, but it was not clear how long they would last.

Vedat Didari, a professor of mining, told AFP that the biggest risk was the lack of oxygen.

“If the ceiling fans are not working, the workers could die within an hour,” said Didari, from the Bulent Ecevit University in the city of Zonguldak.

Explosions and cave-ins are common in Turkey, particularly in private mines where safety regulations are often flouted.

Turkey’s worst mining accident happened in 1992 when 263 workers were killed in a gas explosion in a mine in Zonguldak.

Soma is one of the key centres for lignite coal mining in Turkey, a district with a population of around 100 000 where the mines and a lignite-fired thermal power plant are the main economic activity.

AFP

16 people arrested over sporadic protests in Marikana


By Obakeng Maje
Rustenburg- Police arrested at least 16 people on Tuesday at approximately 13:30 for public violence at Mmaditlokwe Informal Settlement in Marikana.

The community members blockaded roads with burning tyres and rubble in protest against apparent and recent blasts at the nearby Tharisa mine.

They further alleged that the blasts at the mine are damaging their homes and also affecting health of their children. 

“Police first engaged the community and appealed to them to disperse and not to block the road. However, they became violent and threw stones at the police” brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.

In order to bring calm, the police were forced to use rubber bullets to disperse the unruly crowd. The arrested suspects include 14 females and two males with ages not yet confirmed.

“They are expected to appear at the Marikana Magistrates’ Court soon facing charges of public violence. There were no reports of injuries received during the incident” Ngubane said.-TDN
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Exercise rights to protest within framework of the law-Premier Modise


North West Premier Thandi Modise has called on communities to exercise their right to protest within the framework of the law to avoid violent confrontation with police.

Premier Modise’s appeal follows illegal protests that resulted in police firing rubber bullets to disperse a protest in Mmaditlokwe informal settlement near Marikana on Tuesday.

“Communities that might have genuine concerns should not allow themselves be misled to participate in illegal marches as these always result in dire consequences for those involved,” Modise said.

She called on Madibeng Local Municipality to urgently investigate the allegations raised by the community.  
According to police, the community members blockaded roads with burning tyres and rubble in protest against apparent and recent blasts at the nearby Tharisa mine.Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said that the protest did not appear to be related to the on-going platinum strike, but was related to complaints against a nearby chrome mine.

“The community claimed that blasting at the mine damaged their homes and affected their children’s health,” Ngubane said.

Ngubane said that police tried to reason with the protesters, but they ignored appeals to disperse.

“In order to bring calm, police were forced to use rubber bullets to disperse the unruly crowd,” he said.

Ngubane said that the fourteen women and two men who were arrested would appear in the Marikana Magistrate’s Court soon to face charges of public violence.

He said that no injuries were reported and police would continue to monitor the situation.-TDN
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Sporadic protests break out in Marikana


Govan Whittles | Today, 18:07
MARIKANA – Sporadic protests have broken out in townships around Marikana in the North West on Tuesday.
There is a heavy police presence in the area.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za