Kuthiwani aboHlanga bephela ezimayini?
UKUPHELA kwaboHlanga nsuku zaphuma ezimayini zakuleli kubukeka kuyinto engathathelwa zinyathelo ezitheni. Ukwenza okunjena kwenza uzibuze ukuthi ngabe yingoba izisebenzi eziningi kungezaboHlanga okusho ukuthi impilo yazo iyize leze, ikakhulu ngaphansi kwalo Hulumeni wabantu osuphethe?
Lokhu ngikusho ngoba lezi zigameko ziya ngokwanda selokhu kwangena uHulumeni Wentando Yabantu. Nxa sezenzekile azikho izinyathelo ezinqala ezithathelwa abaphathi nongxiwankulu bakule mboni. Ngonyaka wezi-2017, isibalo sezisebenzi ezashona ezimayini sinyuke safika ema-82 sadlula esonyaka wezi-2016 esasingama-73.
Lesi sibalo asibafaki abavukuzi abagcina bevaleleke emgodini emayini iLily Mine eMpumalanga. Udaba olusematheni kulezi zinsuku elokufa komsebenzi wasemayini yegolide iSibanye-Stillwater okuyimayini esesifundazweni iGauteng, iDriefontein. Abaphathi bemayini bathi esinye sezisebenzi sayo sashaywa insimbi ethile ngenkathi ehlanza imishini yokusebenza nokugcine ngokuthi siphangalale.
Le mayini ihaqwe ifu elimnyama ngoba kusukela kuqale unyaka isishonelwe izisebenzi ezingama-21 uma kubalwa nalo mvukuzi oshone kamuva eDriefontein. Azimile lezi zigameko ngoba ngasekuqaleni konyaka izisebenzi ezibalelwa enkulungwaneni zabhajwa emathunjini omhlaba kwacishe kwaphela usuku emva kokuthi kunqamuke amandla kagesi kwenye yezimayini zale nkampani esesifundazweni iFree State. NgoMbasa kwadlula emhlabeni abavukuzi abayisikhombisa begqitshwa umhlaba. Bashona nje laba kunabanye ozakwabo ababevalelekile bona ngenhlanhla abatakulwa besaphila.
Njalo abaphathi bale mayini uma bephonswa ngabezindaba imibuzo bavele bangakhombisi ukuthi indaba yokuphepha kwazisebenzi ezimayini iyinto eseqhulwini kubo. Kunalokho uyaye ubezwe begxeka izisebenzi ngalokhu. Ngeviki elidlule le mayini ibe nenkomfa lapho bekudingidwa khona ukuphepha emayini. Le nkomfa ibihanjelwe yibo bonke abathinteka kule mboni esingabala kubo uHulumeni, izikhulu zemayini kanye nezinyunyana. Kube sekusayinwa isivumelwano lapho abeSibanye Stillwater bezibophezele ngokuqinisa ukuphepha emayini. Akucacike nokho ukuthi lokhu kuzokwenziwa kanjani.
Izinyunyana ezisemkhakheni wezimayini iNational Unio1n of Mineworkers (NUM) eholwa uMengameli uMnu uPiet Matosa ne-Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) yona eholwa uMnu uJoseph Mathunjwa. Izinyunyana zikhuluma ngazwi linye lokuthi sesifikile isikhathi sokuthi inqandwe le nkinga ebonakala iya ngokwanda ezimayini. Sezithe kumele kuchitshiyelwe isigaba somthetho iMine Health and Safety Act (MHSA). Lo mthetho ophinde ube nakuMthethosisekelo Wezwe ubhekana ngqo nokuphepha nenhlalakahle yabasebenzi ezimayini.
Abaholi balezi zinyunyana bathi amalungu abo ayizisulu zale nhlekelele kumele iMHSA ithi uma iguqulwa izikhulu zezimayini ziboshwe njengazo zonke izephulamthetho, lokhu okungenzeki njengamanje. Abenyuyana iSolidarity nabo beseka ozwakwabo iNUM ne-AMCU. Bathi ngonyaka odlule kubonakale zenyuka kakhulu izigameko zokushona kwabasebenzi ezimayini zakuleli.
Lokhu kulandelwe ukuthi ikomidi lasePhalamende elengamele uMnyango Wezokumbiwa lithi kumele lezi zimayini zemukwe izimvume zokusebenza ngoba kuyacaca ukuthi azizimisele ukwenza lutho ngokuphepha kwezisebenzi. Lezi zimvume zikhishwe ngaphansi koMnyango Wezokumbiwa.
UMnyango Wezokumbiwa oholwa uMhlonishwa uGwede Mantashe owaziwa kakhulu ngegalelo lakhe enyunyaneni iNUM nawo ubukela ungakhombisi ukuza nesisombululo esitheni. Lo Mnyango ukhiphe isitatimende kwabezindaba sokuthi kumele imboni yezimayini iqinise ezokuphepha ngoba kubonakala ziya ngokwanda izigameko ezifuze esaseSibanye-Stillwater kuleli. Emva kwalokhu kuvele kwacweba iziziba. Awuzange umuzwe uMhloniswa uMantashe ekhuluma ngokuthi yini okumele yenziwe ukunqanda lesi sihlava. Lokhu kushiya imibuzo yokuthi ngempela ngabe lo Hulumeni uzimisele yini ukuthi le ndaba esemqoka kanje ayibeke ezithebeni.
Yini okumele yenziwe
Akekho ongazi ukuthi umnotho wakuleli wakhiwe ngaboHlanga abasebenze ngokuzikhandla becindezelwe ingekho inzuzo etheni. Ngokwezibalo zakamuva ezikhishwe abeStatistics South Africa imboni yezimayini ingu-R20.3 wesigidintathu (R20.3tn).
Le mboni ingeyesihlanu emhlabeni uma kubhekwa ingeniso yayo emnothweni jikelele wezwe. Babalelwa ezi-400 000 abasebenzi abaqashwe ngaphansi kwayo. Lokhu kusikhombisa ngokusobala ukuthi zingakwazi ukulungiswa izinkinga eziyikhungethe inqobo nje uma abaholi bezimisele.
Imboni yezimayini ingenye yezihamba phambili. Uma izisebenzi zingafanga kule mboni uthola obaba bemizi bebuyela emakhaya sebekhungethwe izifo ezinhlobonhlobo ezinye zazo okuthiwa azelapheki. Lokhu kubuye kudalwe nayizindawo okuhlala kuzo izisebenzi ezingagculisi. Uma ubaba womuzi esebuyela ekhaya uthola ukuthi akahlali isikhathi esingakanani ashone. Umndeni wakhe usala ukhungethwe ububha ngenxa yokuthi akukho okutheni abashiyele kona.
Siyizwe sidinga ukubona lo Hulumeni ethathela izinkampani zezimayini izinyathelo ezinqala. Kumele sibone abaphathi bevalelwa emajele uma kutholakala ukuthi kukhona lapho kwephulwe khona umthetho. Enye into ezoba semqoka ukuthi labo ababonakala belokhu bephula umthetho baphucwe izimvume zokusebenza. Omunye uzothi lokhu kungakhubaza amathuba emisebenzi. Ngikhuluma nje kwamanje izisebenzi zidilizwa ngobuningi njengoba abakwaStatistics South Africa bebika ukuthi babalelwa ezi-14 000 abavukuzi abalahlakelwe imisebenzi esigamini sokuqala salo nyaka.
Kungafanele izinkampani zona lezi zibuye ziphoqwe ukunxephezela laba basebenzi. Esinye sezisombululo nesesikhulunywa kwezinye izinkampani zezimayini esokuthi kufakwe ubuchwepheshe bemishini ngaphansi komhlaba kube yiyo ezovukuza kunabantu.
Abanye ongoti bathi sekuzoba iyona ndlela yokusebenza lena eminyakeni ezayo. Akwaziwa-ke nokho ukuthi lokhu kuzothatha isikhathi esingakanani. Kukhona imvunge ethi lokhu kungaba nomthelela ekutheni kudilizwe izisebenzi. Uma izivikela imboni ithi lokho ngeke kwenzeke njengoba kuzokwenziwa isiqiniseko sokuthi amakhono ezisebenzi awalahleki kunalokho ayathuthukiswa ikhona nayo imishini.
Okokugcina nokusemqoka wukuthi izinyunyana ezimele izisebenzi zibe imbumba zifakele uhulumeni ingcindezi ngesiphakamiso sokuguqulwa kweMHSA. Lokhu kuzozinika amandla okuthi zikwazi ukumelana nezinkampani ezibonakala zingathinteki.
Kanti kumele kuze kuphangalale abasebenzi abangaki ukuze lo Hulumeni abone ukuthi le mboni ayizimisele ukuguqula indlela yokwenza izinto noma yingoba impilo yomuntu omnyama ayikhathalelwe kuleli lizwe?
