Vryheid miners stage underground protest
Seventy-five miners at the Vaalkrantz Anthracie Colliery in Vryheid are refusing to come out from underground until they are rehired and paid wages owed to them.
They're contracted to Nasonti Mining Services whom they accuse of summarily firing them without paying them for days they had worked.
The police's Nqobile Gwala says they have had to intervene when other protests broke out.
"Yesterday, the miners burnt tyres at the entrance of the mine. They also burnt the conveyor belt conveying the coal from underground to the surface. Five miners went out and 75 are still underground. The members are still at the scene, monitoring," she said.
Management of Nasonti Mining Services have not been picking up calls nor responding to smses from Newswatch requesting comment.
But CEO of Keaton Energy Holdings Mandy Glad says they've gone the legal route to deal with the situation from their side.
"We have secured an interdict to have these people removed. We are doing everything in our power to sort the situation. It has nothing to do with Keaton Energy Holdings. It is someone contracted to us," she said.
(File photo)