The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) can confirm that 543 NUM members are being held hostage underground at Gold One Mine in Springs. NUM MEMBERS ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE UNDERGROUND AGAINST THEIR WILL. THERE IS NO SIT-IN UNDERGROUND BY OUR MEMBERS.
The hostage situation started last night when workers reported for a night shift underground and they were prevented from coming back to the surface this morning. Nine NUM members got injured after they were assaulted by the hooligans who were preventing them from coming to the surface. They are still preventing them from coming to the surface.
NUM is also worried that there are a lot of women who are being held hostage underground. This is unacceptable. It was ONLY the NUM that fought for women to work in the mining industry in South Africa. We didn’t fight for the women to work in the mining industry in South Africa to be held hostage or kidnapped underground by hooligans.
The NUM calls for the law enforcement agencies in South Africa to intervene and go underground and arrest the hooligans who are holding our members against their will.