Hostage drama unfolds as 540 miners held underground in Gauteng
There was an apparent hostage situation in Springs on Gauteng's East Rand on Tuesday morning.
The National Union of Mineworkers says over 540 of its members are being held underground at the Gold One Mine.
The group's Livhuwani Mammburu says the workers were stopped from returning to the surface after going underground on Sunday evening.
"They were prevented from coming back to the surfaces yesterday [Monday]. Yesterday, we were informed by some of our members from underground that nine members of NUM are injured by those who are holding them hostage."
He's pleading with the Department of Minerals and Energy to intervene, saying some of the hostages are women.
"Also, the company was granted an interdict by the labour court to stop these people who are holding our members hostage from intimidating and threatening our members.
"But the company is not enforcing that interdict, and that is what makes us worried as National Union of Mineworkers."
