South African President Jacob Zuma easily won reelection yesterday to be the leader of the African National Congress at the ANC’s five-day conference in Bloemfontein. Of the nearly 4,000 votes cast, Zuma received 2983 votes while his challenger, deputy leader Kgalema Motlanthe, received 991 votes. The results mean that Zuma is virtually certain to be [...]
In S. Africa, Zuma Tries to Hold Presidency in Face of Motlanthe’s Rise
November 30, 2012 | Posted by
As South Africa grapples with the question of who will emerge as the leader of the African National Congress at the party leadership conference next month, the real issue is whether President Jacob Zuma has been so damaged by scandal, the mining massacre and the resulting labor unrest this year that he doesn’t have enough [...]
South Africa Leaders Move in to Resolve Farmworkers Strike
November 14, 2012 | Posted by
The crippling strikes in South Africa have moved into the farming industry, as farmworkers walked out more than a week seeking a doubling of their wages—prompting President Jacob Zuma’s administration to attempt to intervene in the labor crisis. The ministers of labor and agriculture are scheduled to meet to discuss the possibility of raising the [...]
12,000 Fired Platinum Miners to Get Jobs Back in South Africa
October 29, 2012 | Posted by
The 12,000 platinum miners in South Africa who were fired three weeks ago for striking will be able to get their jobs back if they return to work by tomorrow, according to Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), the world’s biggest platinum producer. The National Union of Mineworkers announced the reinstatement yesterday in a statement to Reuters. [...]
Another South Africa Mine Set to Fire Thousands for Striking
October 25, 2012 | Posted by
Another massive firing of mine workers is set to take place in South Africa after workers at the AngloGold Ashanti facility in Carletonville refused to return to work by the noon Wednesday deadline imposed by management. Company officials say they are trying to bring an end to the impasse, but are likely to follow the [...]
14 Miners in South Africa Massacre Were Shot in The Back
October 23, 2012 | Posted by
In a revelation that could have a devastating impact on the perception of the mine massacre in Marikana, South Africa, a judicial inquiry yesterday heard that 14 of the 34 murdered workers were actually shot in the back—debunking claims by the police that the miners were all charging them. “All fatal projectile wounds were sustained [...]
President Jacob Zuma Asks South Africa Miners to Return to Work
October 18, 2012 | Posted by
South African President Jacob Zuma, intervening more directly in the mining strikes in an effort to rescue his country’s crippled economy, has called on the mine workers to return to work and asked their bosses to agree to year-long salary freezes in a show of good faith. Zuma’s intervention comes as the Gold Fields gold [...]
South Africa Begins Inquiry into Marakana Mine Massacre
October 2, 2012 | Posted by
Six weeks after the deadly mining massacre in Marakana that killed 34 striking niners, the South African government this week began the official inquiry into the causes of the massacre and to determine who was at fault. The three-member judicial inquiry was announced by South African President Jacob Zuma in August, tasked with the crucial [...]
Striking S. Africa Miners Burn Mgmt’s Latest Offer in Bonfire
September 18, 2012 | Posted by
The striking workers at the South African platinum mine owned by Lonmin showed their displeasure at the latest wage offer in the most dramatic of ways: by burning leaflets explaining the offer in a giant bonfire. The gesture by the striking miners showed just how much anger the workers have toward their employers in the [...]
Production Halted at Most S. African Mines as Wage Talks Continue
September 17, 2012 | Posted by
The mining industry and the South African government are grappling with a way to bring an end to the strikes and conflict that is surrounding operation of the crucial industry, but workers are inspired to keep fighting until they get the raise in wages they are seeking. While most of the mines have ceased production, [...]
