Ikemeleng hit by mine retrenchments

21/05/2020
Ikemeleng Kroondal
Steven Ramokhula

Samancor Western Chrome Mines is one of the mining companies within the radius of Ikemeleng community.

Over the years samancor mine has employed thousands of people from different communities including Ikemeleng.

In Ikemeleng it has two shafts named Millsell and Waterkloof which had employed hundreds of people.

Over the past few weeks, Samancor has retrenched over two thousand employees. It is closing three of their shafts. Including the one in their head office which is based in Mooinooi.

Ikemeleng has suffered the worst as a result of this involuntary retrenchment since is has accommodated over 30% of its employees.

Now the number of unemployed people in Ikemeleng has increased due to this incident while we still having high rate of unemployment in our community.

The government should intervene on this one and help with funding to reopen the shafts that are closed. If the government does nothing with the issue of Samancor, more mines will retrench their employees.