Charles Molele
The arrest of the CEO of Impala Platinum Rustenburg mining operations on Friday has been welcomed by chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Mineral Resources, Sahlulele Luzipho, after he called on law enforcement agencies on Thursday to act decisively against mining executives who contravened the lockdown regulations.
Munroe, head of Rustenburg Operations, was granted bail of R60 000 after appearing at the Bafokeng Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The matter has been postponed for further investigation.
Munroe was charged with alleged contraventions of government regulations issued in terms of the provisions of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002.
In a statement issued on Friday, Luzipho further called on the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to investigate a possible abuse of permit by Munroe in light of the allegations levelled against him.
“We expect the department to conduct such an investigation and act decisively against perpetrators, with a view of sending a strong message to everyone that permits are to be used strictly for the intended purpose and any deviation will not be tolerated,” said Luzipo.
On Thursday, COGTA Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma amended regulations to allow mines to operate at 50-percent capacity during lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Earlier, the government ordered most underground mines and furnaces to be put on care and maintenance during the lockdown, which started on March 27 and has been extended until the end of April, apart from coal mines supplying Eskom.
Miners have been asking government to allow them to resume production with controls in place to detect and contain COVID-19.
Implats said on Friday that it remained in full support of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive for a national lockdown to help slow the spread of the coronavirus in South Africa.
The company said it supported the lockdown measures taken by national governments to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and welcomed the amended regulations, which will assist in securing critical mining infrastructure and mitigate the severe impact of these measures on the lives and livelihoods of employees, host communities and suppliers.
Nico Muller, Implats CEO, said: “We are living in times of unprecedented uncertainty, which requires new ways of thinking and innovative solutions to challenges we have not faced before. At Implats we have taken several proactive steps to safeguard our business, with a key focus on securing and ensuring the well-being of our employees.”
“As management, we maintain regular and open communication with our key stakeholders including our employees, organised labour and the national governments of Zimbabwe, South Africa and Canada.”
“To this end, we will continue to enhance our strategies for a successful resumption of operating activities. This is necessary to secure the vital role our company plays in the livelihoods of our employees, our host communities and the national economies in which we operate.”
