ON 1 OCTOBER, which coincides with the Wednesday of Labour party conference, miners throughout South Africa will mourn 177 of their fellow workers who died in the Kinross mine disaster. The executive of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) of South Africa has demanded that the Chamber of Mines shut down the country's mines on that day. If they refuse the NUM will call a one-day strike.
backec 500,000-strong Unions and by the United emocalc front. the country's largest anti-apartheid organisation The UDF said it would the NUM SUDDULL 'whatever call it makes to mourn and pay homage to mnose gallanl minnes Wiu died in Kinross'.
Anger black South African miners over the disaster was reflected memorial service organised by the owners of the Kinross gold mine. The overwhelming majority of tne miners rerusea lo attend the service. A local NUM representative plained that the Kinross OWINCIC JULC CUlLcerned at the disruption to production and their profits than with the lives and well-being of the miners.
The miners held their own short service, as evidence piled in UVCI ine CUtl" pany's responsibility.
Cyril Ramaphosa, secretary of the NUM made an inspection of the pit in the wake of DOILI ANCO S WORŁ CyCI gold mining tragedy. 'This completely necessary accident', was his angry verdict.
On 16 September five welders had been left to fight an intense 400 meter flame arising from a faulty torch. No fire tinguishers were found. Miners as far as 1.5 RATES:
Inland kilometres away started to 'drop like flies'.
the TeSlIL 8-Uss negligence by the General Mining Corporation altHed (GÊNCOR) which owns Kinross. They Wolc • formed occaust boer ered em rial lad used coat the gallery walis. There was no alarm system warn miners of the fire.
Further details will undoubtedly come to light once the judicial enquiry demanded by the NUM and now conceded by the apartheid regime gets under way. But the grim reality behind the disaster will not change until the entire apartheid svstem 1s overthrown.
As statement issued by COSATU the country's largest non-racial federation, put it: "These deaths are a telling example of the peril of black miners are exposed to daily for the super-profits of the South African mining industry.
Conditions facing the gold ULIC S South Africa are the worst in the years up to 1983 8,209 gold miners died.
At Kinross, as in South Africa's other mines, the workforce is composed of migrant workers, torn their families forced to live in single-sex compounds for 11 months of the year, the duration of LaCHM CONCS While the mine-owners (all find NIULCY fit out these prison-like hostels with elaborate tea gas systems and to hire heir own private force of security thugs - both to' be used against the workers — even the most basic safety precautions are ignored.
Gencor is infamous for its anti-union stand and appalling Salely record This year alone began with the largest mass dismissal in mining history when Gencor herded 2300 striking miners out of the Impala platinum site. SACTU statement issued by in Lusaka after the disaster calls on Gencor to recognise the NUM 'as a first and necessary step to pressurise the mining bosses to begin to ensure adequate health and safety standards'. The planned one-day strike will be decisive in getting such recogmcon But equally the intenational movement had a responsibility to take up the appeal for a massive flow of money …Into mre special families of the tocis. to aid the The TUC immediately sent its condolences and an otter ot assistance. In view of the British NUM's close relationship with its counterpart in South Africa, here will Illicio undoubteldy lead the way.
ference must express its detestation and outrage at this latest act of barbarity by aparthied as well as by the resolutions demanding sanctions. A minutes silence Wednesday would be a fitting tribute of solidarity.
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The e NUM have been
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