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The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is deeply concerned about its members and other employees who are working under the heavy guard of armed security at the PMG Mine in the Northern Cape. It is alleged that the mine is owned by the Chinese national who had turned the mine into a militarized zone.

"It has come to the attention of the NUM in the Northern Cape that PMG Mine owned by the Chinese national has embarked on the militarization of the workplace. Employees are been working under a heavy guard of armed security with live ammunition," said Mike Phiri, NUM Kimberley Region Health and Safety Chairperson.

"In the first place, we don’t know if they are legally in the country, as to whether they are approved to do normal work that was supposed to be done by South Africans, given the high rate of unemployment in the country," Phiri added.

The NUM calls upon the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to further visit the mine and make sure that the Health and Safety of the employees in this company is guaranteed.

We call upon the company to remove military security with immediate effect as that area is a mining area and not a military zone.

Issued by NUM