Mineral
At the Lily mine, on Friday,
The committee was briefed that the owners turned down, on several occasions, different offers to buy the Lily mine. For that reason, the committee announced to the families some recommendations that it will be making in its oversight report for consideration by the
Again on Friday, the committee visited the Optimum mine, where it learnt that over and above its failure to pay salaries of workers, the mine, which is also under business rescue practitioners, also faces operational challenges due to unmaintained equipment and inability to pay for electricity. The committee once again felt that mine owners also put their financial interest ahead of those workers who have not been paid salaries for years.
However, the committee visited a site where the mine continues to operate at a small scale. The Committee Chairperson, Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, said it boggles the mind that on the one hand, owners apply for the mining rights using the MPRDA, but on the other hand, they invoke the Companies Act in order to delay selling off the mine when faced with financial difficulties.
On Saturday, the committee met with local and small business owners in Thabazimbi, Northam mine management, and the
The committee then directed that the DMRE should, as soon as possible, facilitate a meeting between the company, business owners and the community in order to find a lasting solution, and that it should report back on what has been agreed upon.
The committee, however, did not make any recommendations with regard to illegal mining hotspots in Gauteng after a visit to few sites on Sunday. The committee was impressed by the manner in which the DMRE, together with its entities, continue to close off old shafts that are used for illegal mining activities, and the repurposing of the land for recreational facilities like the new race track in
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