Alarming Hostage Situation at GoldOne Modder-East Mine in Springs

An alarming hostage situation occurred at GoldOne Modder-East mine in Springs, South Africa, where members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union allegedly held around 543 miners captive. The captors were reportedly attempting to gain control of the mine’s organized labor representation. Despite a police presence, the hostages remained captive, with some sustaining injuries. Similar incidents have occurred in South African mining, with a similar incident occurring in May 2022.

On [date], an alarming hostage situation took place at the GoldOne Modder-East mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg. Members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) allegedly held around 543 miners captive, including 480 who were trapped underground and 63 who remained on the surface.

Amcu Allegedly Held Miners Captive to Gain Control

According to sources from the scene, night shift workers were stopped from surfacing, and day shift workers could not start their duties. Entry and exit points were welded shut by Amcu members, leaving a single, closely monitored point of access to GoldOne’s property. The motive behind the hostage situation was to muscle Amcu’s way into the mine’s organized labor representation, where the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is currently the sole recognized union.

Mining Security Expert Describes Situation as Illegal Hijacking

Mining security expert Marius van der Merwe of QRF Task Team described the situation as an illegal hijacking of a mine and a trade union’s criminal attempt to control private enterprise to intimidate workers and management.

Hostages Remain Captive Despite Police Presence

Despite the tense standoff, the hostages remained captive by the end of the day. GoldOne spokesperson John Haricourt confirmed that some hostages sustained injuries, but the captors refused to allow them to surface for treatment. The mine had to rely on senior Amcu members to negotiate the hostages’ release.

Law Enforcement Maintains Perimeter Position

While there was a police presence, law enforcement maintained a perimeter position, advising GoldOne to de-escalate the situation and ensure worker safety. A local community WhatsApp group warned of the volatile situation, which could turn violent at any moment.

Alleged Attempt to Cut Ventilation to the Shafts

Unconfirmed rumors suggested that Amcu members tried to cut ventilation to the shafts. Van der Merwe warned that if the rumors were true, it could amount to attempted murder or at the very least, assault.

Calls for Immediate Release of Hostages

Democratic Alliance’s constituency head for Springs, Ashor Sarupen, demanded the hostages’ immediate release and called for those responsible to be held accountable. He urged law enforcement agencies to act quickly in investigating and bringing the perpetrators to justice, and Amcu to cooperate fully with authorities and facilitate the miners’ safe release.

Amcu Denies Allegations of Hostage Situation

Amcu general secretary Jeffrey Mphahlele, who reached the site after the incident occurred, denied the allegations of a hostage situation. He argued that the representation they demanded was crucial, considering 1,700 of GoldOne’s 1,870 employees were Amcu members. However, Mphahlele refuted the hostage claims, dismissing them as untrue.

Similar Incidents in South African Mining

Such incidents are not unheard of in South African mining. In May 2022, 50 employees at the Marikana mine in Rustenburg were held hostage over two nights.

What happened at the GoldOne Modder-East mine in Springs?

An alarming hostage situation occurred at GoldOne Modder-East mine in Springs, South Africa, where members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union allegedly held around 543 miners captive. The captors were reportedly attempting to gain control of the mine’s organized labor representation.

Why did the Amcu hold the miners captive?

The motive behind the hostage situation was to muscle Amcu’s way into the mine’s organized labor representation, where the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is currently the sole recognized union.

What was the police’s role during the hostage situation?

While there was a police presence, law enforcement maintained a perimeter position, advising GoldOne to de-escalate the situation and ensure worker safety.

Was there an attempt to cut ventilation to the shafts?

Unconfirmed rumors suggested that Amcu members tried to cut ventilation to the shafts. Van der Merwe warned that if the rumors were true, it could amount to attempted murder or at the very least, assault.

Has this situation happened before in South African mining?

Similar incidents have occurred in South African mining, with a similar incident occurring in May 2022.