Her visit was postponed because the Labour Ministry team that had been working on the ground in Rustenburg did not arrive in Maputo in time to make a return to South Africa the same day feasible.
Taipo’s planned visit follows the massacre last Thursday by South African police of at least 34 striking miners at the Marikana mine in Rustenburg, owned by the London-based company Lonmin. A further 78 miners were injured.
Although about 16,000 Mozambicans work in the mines of North-West Province, making this the largest concentration of Mozambican miners in South Africa, there is so far no confirmation that any Mozambicans are among the dead and injured, or among the 600 miners arrested during the clashes.
Staff of the Labour Ministry delegation in South Africa have been in contact with Lonmin and other mining companies to check on the safety of Mozambican among their employees.
The strike at Marikana has continued, despite threats of mass dismissals. Lonmin claims that 27 per cent of the 28,000 strong work force came into work on Monday. It issued a warning that anyone who did not show up for work on Tuesday morning would be sacked.
At the heart of the dispute are the 3,000 rock drill operators, without whom no platinum can be produced. They work in some of the deepest and most dangerous mine shafts in South Africa, and are demanding wage increases of around 200 per cent.
Post published in: Africa News