Protesting Vryheid miners 'prevented access to food, water'
Scores of miners who're protesting underground at a coal mine in Vryheid say they have been denied food and water brought to them by their relatives and colleagues.
Seventy-five miners have refused to leave the underground shaft at the Vaalkrantz Anthracite Colliery which they've been occupying since Tuesday.
They are demanding their jobs back after their contractor Nasonti Mining Services apparently fired them.
Other mineworkers have also been denied entry into the mine.
They say community members will be joining them later tonight to camp outside the mine property in a solidarity protest. Earlier mine manager Pierre Louw told Newswatch the situation inside was volatile and unsafe.
Also read: Vryheid miners stage underground protest
The miners say this is not the first underground sit-in, they say other workers who were fired by previous contractors carried out a similar protest in a bid to at least be paid wages due to them.
The miners say they are prepared to die underground for what’s rightfully theirs.
Vaalkrantz Anthracite Colliery is owned by Keaton Energy Holdings.