‘Reckless’ Amplats has responsibility to SA

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‘Reckless’ Amplats has responsibility to SA – Gwede

Carien du Plessis @carienduplessis 18 January 2013 17:04

The decision by Amplats to lay off 14 000 workers was “reckless and insensitive”, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told journalists at a briefing at Luthuli House.

He said this afternoon the mining giant should have consulted before taking a decision to mothball its shafts.

Mantashe confirmed that the ANC had met with mining bosses on Wednesday, a day before the announcement of the shaft closures was made.

He also hinted that the party didn’t trust the promise by Amplats to make up for job losses by creating new jobs in the social sector, saying it was “vague”.

Mantashe said foreign-owned companies which are based in South Africa and experienced growth here, should realise that it has a duty towards citizens.

“Amplats is a company built in South Africa but it is now being reckless about its responsibilities. They can’t be visitors when they are built on our sweat and blood,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sapa reports, Anglo American Platinum CEO Chris Griffith and Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu met yesterday to discuss the company’s restructuring plans.

“We welcome the opportunity for continuing engagement with minister Shabangu and her team,” Griffith said in a statement.

“[The meeting was] to reach our shared objective of creating a sustainable, competitive, and profitable platinum business for the benefit of all stakeholders and for South Africa.”

The parties agreed to meet again in the next 90 days.

On Wednesday night, Amplats miners returned to work and abandoned their illegal strike.

Quotable

To earn our respect, he [Zuma] must deliver on the promise of employment for young people.

DA Parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko

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Comments

andrew parker

So private enterprise has a duty to provide handouts to the high-cost low-productivity workers while the company goes bust and everybody sinks into the mire together? I think we need to consult Cosatu about this. It could be the excuse they need for a nation-wide strike. Let’s stand together together and make South Africa unworkable and ungovernable at the same time. While we are running around killing foriegners, looting shops and burning schools and libraries we can blame apartheid and ask the whities overseas to bail us out of our colonial inspired poverty.
Corrupt_comrade_JACOB

mumbling mantashe and his idiot boss are part of the problem. Africa should stop with always expecting hand-outs!
http://twitter.com/Njongozethu R.S.J.Prestwich

Perhaps, Mr Mantashe, you might say the same for the tender awarded to Mr. Reddy’s company, at double the price, and importing US goods, while the best bid would use South African manufactured goods, creating jobs and costing the taxpayer half.
Sad, sad, sad for everyone. (except Mr. Reddy)
http://twitter.com/StaroftheMagi Aster C. Linn

Oh please. No “private citizen” (or foreign investor) has the “responsibility” either to “create jobs,” or keep their businesses or companies open, if they do not WISH to do so.

And in view of the millions of already unemployed, and ever spiralling rate of unemployment in South Africa. If anything is “reckless” it is the (non-democratic Marxist-Leninist?) taxpayer employed, public-servant ANC/SACP and COSATU alliance’s current (five-year, 2012 – 2017) National Democratic(?) Revolution(?) (NDR) and South African Road to Socialism (SARS) plan to: nationalise (mainly white) privately-owned mines, industries, banks and businesses. Seize (mainly white) privately-owned land; property and possessions and, purportedly,* GIVE control over the MEANS of production, distribution and exchange to the black “manual workers” in South Africa. (*That is, not only, e.g., the MINES that PRODUCE the gold, but also the “gold” itself? Never in a million years!).

What I advise every non-professional “worker” in South Africa (who may have only their “labour to sell”) is to concentrate on creating their own employment (and miracle upon miracle employment for others of every race-group as well!).
PS: if you have ever wondered why the present-day government has not pulled out every stop in the past 18 years – a long time in anyone’s language – to explore ways of creating as many fresh employment opportunities in South Africa as possible? That’s because “taking over” (publicly, i.e., taxpayer owned and) privately-owned enterprises – and “giving” the (existing; ready-made jobs) to unemployed workers is ten-thousand times easier!
- http://twitter.com/Njongozethu R.S.J.Prestwich
  
  London Times Newspaper quote:
  
  South Africa is the only country in the world where
  affirmative action is in favour of the majority who has complete political
  control. The fact that the political majority requires affirmative action to
  protect them from a 9% minority group is testament to a complete failure on
  their part to build their own wealth making structures, such that their only
  solution is to take it from others.
http://www.facebook.com/flak.fark Flak Fark

why can these idiots just not keep their traps shut instead of making even bigger fools of themselves. I dare you Professor doctor mr knowall: withdraw the mine’s licence and see how 45,000 more amplats workers loose their jobs……..but then again: do you care……… NO YOU DON’T “let them have cake”. the masses will turn on you..sooner rather than later.
Roy McLachlan

Mr Mantashe, the government has a responsibility to its citizens. Do you take that seriously ? I think not. So why should Amplats. If you are so stupid not to see that this is all as a result of the ANC’s lack of leadership, then you need to go back to school. Oh, and I would suggest a private one, not one of Angie’s.
http://www.facebook.com/Thebigguyjim Jimmy Kirkwood

Gwede what you should be saying to Anglo is WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT DO TO HELP, AND THEN DO IT. Forget the empty threats.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bokfan-Saffer/100003070339297 Bokfan Saffer

Gwede your reckless anc has created this climate of rage in the country. All the while you and yours are stealing the nation into the stone age.

The friend of a criminal is a criminal – finish and klaar.
gumpy51

Reckless?

Mantashe should take care in his description of this situation.
It is his government and its partners that have helped create a
unsustainable business environment in South Africa.
There have been years of hostility towards private enterprise
with ongoing labour disputes and antagonism.
The outbursts over the Amplats is an attempt to avoid accepting some responsibility
for the unfolding labour crisis.

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