NUM’s Impala Platinum leader allegedly gets death threats amid rights dispute

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has raised concerns about death threats allegedly directed at a branch chair at one of Impala Platinum’s operations in North West amid a dispute over organisational rights.

The NUM said the union’s branch chair at Impala’s Triple M 1 Shaft had been stalked and received threats as the Cosatu-affiliated union works to gain organisational rights for its members at Impala, one of the world’s biggest platinum producers.

William Shiko, NUM Rustenburg region deputy secretary, said workers have a constitutional right to freely choose a trade union without fear, intimidation, victimisation or violence.

“The union believes these threats constitute a serious attack not only on an individual leader but also on the democratic rights of workers who choose to associate with NUM. Such conduct undermines labour peace, workplace democracy, and the rule of law,” said Shiko.

NUM previously said it had exceeded the required 40% membership threshold for representation at Impala Triple M according to a CCMA verification report and blamed the company for shifting the goal posts for access to members.

NUM’s rival, the Association for Mineworkers and Construction Union, is currently the majority union at Impala.

NUM said three suspects were arrested in June.

“The suspects, who had allegedly been stalking the NUM branch chairperson for some time, were found in possession of two unlicensed firearms and a stolen vehicle,” he said.

Shiko said the suspects had been charged and appeared before the Tlhabane magistrate’s court on two separate occasions, where bail was denied due to the severity of the allegations.

“Violence and intimidation have no place in democratic labour relations,” Shiko said.

In May, the NUM distanced itself from an unprotected strike at Impala’s South Shaft in Rustenburg and condemned the harassment at the operation.

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