Gold mine denies union claims that it's running at full capacity during lockdown

Village Main Reef Group and the department of mineral resources & energy have denied claims by unions that Tau Lekoa gold mine in Orkney is running at full capacity during the lockdown.

The claim first emerged on Wednesday when the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said it was shocked that Village Main had reached consensus with other unions at the mine for full-scale operations to continue, and not just care and maintenance operations allowed during the national lockdown.

On Thursday, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the majority union at the mine, suggested that the company was given an exemption or permission after the lockdown, by the department of mineral resources & energy, to continue mining.

NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said members were reluctant to return to work because of the directive by President Cyril Ramaphosa that only care and maintenance employees needed to work during the lockdown.

“The problem here is the department of mineral resources & energy is giving exemption to mining companies after the lockdown, that they must mine as normal.

“We cannot be blamed when the regulatory department is the one responsible for the mess we see in this country.”

NUM had issued a statement criticising companies operating as normal during the lockdown.

“Instead of care and maintenance work ... now they are giving exemptions to these mining companies to operate as normal. We are no longer fighting coronavirus. Now profits outweigh the lives of mineworkers,” charged Mammburu.

Village Main Reef Group said on Thursday it had significantly downscaled operations and only conducted care, maintenance and essential services in accordance with the regulations issued under the Disaster Management Act.

The department of mineral resources & energy denied the mine had been given an exemption. “The department has been informed that Tau Lekoa mine has significantly scaled down its operations to only essential employees,” the department said.

It said Tau Lekoa mine had about 310 people clocked-in for work, which was about 5% of its total workforce of about 6,500, with proper permits and personal protective equipment.

“They have made the decision to have a maximum of 10% of their employees to work during this lockdown,” the department said.

It said in all its undertakings, people’s lives were a key priority, and care had to be taken to ensure their health and safety, while ensuring that limited economic activity undertaken during this period was supported.

“Mines that are operating have the responsibility to adhere to the lockdown regulations, and it would be disappointing if there are some who are wilfully defying that. The department has not been given the impression that that is the case,” it said.

Matt Pieterse, head of business development and communication at Village Main Reef Group, said 5% of the workforce were carrying out care, maintenance and essential services.

“Such employees are provided with the necessary personal protective equipment, to assist with the stopping of the spread of Covid-19, and have offered their services voluntarily,” Pieterse said.

Despite the statements by the mine and the department, Mammburu still maintained that Tau Lekoa was operating at full capacity.