NUM is angry that NUM branch leaders at Cooke operations were attacked and critically injured.

NUM Press Statement,  04 October  2016

NUM is angry that NUM branch leaders at Cooke operations were attacked and critically injured.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is extremely angry and saddened after two of its branch leaders at Sibanye Gold Cooke operations in Westonaria were attacked and critically injured while going to work this morning.

We can confirm that two NUM  branch  at Cooke operations were attacked and critically injured while  going to work this morning by alleged AMCU members who blockaded  all the  main gates of Cooke operations  and threatening workers not to go to work.

The NUM branch leaders at Cooke operations received intelligent information yesterday afternoon  that alleged AMCU members were planning to have a mass meeting inside Cooke 2 hostel and they were planning to attack our members. The management was informed about this intelligent information, but they deliberately ignored it.

“We can confirm that NUM members were attacked and Sibanye Gold  did nothing to send the security to protect them. Our members were attacked last night in hostels and this morning while they were going to work,” said Mpho Phakedi,  NUM PWV Regional Secretary.

“We demand answers from the company. Heads must roll. We want to know how did it happened that a group of people could attack and stop people from going to work. We are reliably informed that few alleged members of AMCU from Cooke 4 and rented crowd of unemployed people attacked our members when they were going to work,” Phakedi added.

Phakedi further said that Sibanye Gold must fully account for what had happened to our members.

“We are asking ourselves as the NUM why the management did not provide security to protect our members and why they refused to call the SAPS to come and protect our members,” he asked.

For more information, please contact:

Mpho Phakedi: NUM PWV Region Regional Secretary: 082 882 3452

Livhuwani Mammburu: NUM National Spokesperson: 083 809 3257

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167