SKHOSIPHI MTHEMBU
UXWAYISE imiphakathi eyakhe-lene nemayini iRichards Bay Minerals (RBM) uNdunankulu wa-KwaZulu-Natal, uMnu Sihle Zika-lala, wathi uma ike yavalwa kuyo-lahleka inqwaba yamathuba emi-sebenzi, kugqame ubuphofu.
Lokhu ukusho izolo ngeSonto esigcawini sabezindaba eThekwini emuva kokuba ngoLwesihlanu kunabantu abashise ogandaganda abawu-4 bale nkampani, okuvela ukuthi bakhala ngokungaqashwa kwabendawo kule nkampani.
UMnu Zikalala uthe uhulumeni uzibophezele ngokusebenzisana nabathintekayo kulolu daba ukubuyisa uzinzo kule mayini. Uthe bayazethemba izinhlaka zomthe-tho ukuthi zizobhekana nabahola lo mkhankanso wokucekelwa pha-nsi kwale mayini.
Kusolwa ukuthi lesi sigameko sihlobene nombhikisho oke waba khona ngeledlule lapho umphaka-thi waKwaSokhulu wawukhala ngokungaqashwa kwabantu be-ndawo njengoba kwakuphume izi-khangiso zomsebenzi.
Kubikwa ukuthi okwasusa umsi-ndo wukuthi ngesikhathi umpha-kathi ubhikisha uvale umgwaqo ngeledlule, kwafika omunye umuntu owayethunywe yi-mayini, kwangafika uMnu Werner Duvenhage ongu-mqondisi oyimene-nja ukuyokwamukela uhlu lwezikhalo.
“Siyafisa ukugcizelela ukuthi la ma-thuba emisebenzi nokutshalwa kwemali okuvelayo si-kubambe ngeza-ndla zombili, kuthi la sibona (abatshalimali) bengenzi kahle khona, sixoxe ngendlela eyakha-yo, sinqande ukuthi basishiye,” kusho uMnu Zikalala.
Ngokwemibiko yaminye imitho-mbo yabezindaba, i-United Asso-ciation of South Africa (UASA) – emele ezinye zezisebenzi zakwa-RBM – inxuse uMengameli Cyril Ramaphosa, uNgqongqoshe wezokuMbiwayo uMnu Gwede Manta-she, wubuholi besifundazwe na-maphoyisa ukuba bagcine ukuphepha ekusebenzeni kwale mayini.
Ngokwale nyunyana, udaba lo-kungaqashwa kwabantu bendawo yikhona okudala ingxabano pha-kathi komphakathi nemayini. Nge-nyanga edlule kwadutshulwa kwa-bulawa imenenja yale mayini, uMnu Nico Swart, iya emsebenzini.
Abe-UASA bathi ukubulawa ku-kaMnu Swart nokushiswa kwalabo gandaganda, kungadala ukuba inkampani ivale ukusebenza eNi-ngizimu Afrika.
IRio Tinto okuyinkampani ya-ngaphandle okungabanikazi be-RBM, ngonyaka odlule yasabisa ngokuvala le mayini eqashe aba-ntu ababalelwa ku-5 000.
Iphinde yasabisa ngokugodla u-R6.5 billion wemali eyitshale eRMB, yathi uma kuqhubeka lobu bugebengu, ingaqhubeka noku-kweza lokhu. Ithe izisebenzi zasemayini zidinga ukuba kuthathwe izinyathelo ngokushesha ukuvikela ukusebenza kwemayini.
Mhla ka-3 kuNhlangulana (Ju-ne), uMnu Mantashe waya eRichards Bay eyohlangana nabaphathi abaphezulu beRMB kanti emhla-nganweni wazwakalisa ukuthi uhulumeni ukhathazekile ngoku-bulawa kukaMnu Swart.
Esitatimendeni esithunyelwe ngabakwaRBM, uMnu Duvenhage uthe ukuphepha kwezisebenzi yi-khona okumqoka.
Uthe bayaqhubeka nokweseka iziphathimandla kanti bayabonga ukwesekwa ngamaphoyisa, ubuholi besifunda nobesifundazwe.
Okhulumela amaphoyisa Kwa-Zulu-Natal, uCol Thembeka Mbhe-le, uthe amaphoyisa aKwaMbona-mbi aphenya icala lokucekela phansi impahla emuva kokuba amalungu omphakathi efike kule ndawo ashisa imishini emine.
