Magobading Community In Limpopo Blockades Road Into Hackney Shaft At Twickenham Mine

Magobading Community in Limpopo Blockades Road into Hackney Shaft at Twickenham Mine (near Burgersfort)

Jubilee South Africa (National Office) Press Statement

4 January 2007

At 10:30 this morning Magobading Residents began demonstrating outside the Hackney Shaft of Anglo Platinum's Twickenham Mine. Residents are angry and frustrated after repeated attempts to get Anglo Platinum to speak with them about lack of services and lack of jobs. The community members were relocated from their home villages to make way for Twickenham to expand its operations. Anglo promised that 2 people from each family would be hired at a new shaft, but no one from Magobading has been hired, despite training for new workers that has been taking place.

Their new location in Magobading has poor quality houses and toilets are overflowing, ridden with maggots. They have had no water services whatsoever since April 2006, and have been walking over muddy embankments to a nearby stream to fetch untreated water. Their graves were relocated from their former villages, but they are disgusted with the disrespect shown to their ancestors by those that relocated them - all but 2 headstones have fallen and some headstones were lost. Their houses are cracking, leaking, and flooding - many of these houses are only 1 year old.

Community members have made repeated attempts to democratically and openly discuss the situation with Anglo Platinum, but Anglo refuses. Today, Twickenham Mine management addressed the crowd, telling them to talk to the structures that are supposed to handle these matters. Residents are beyond frustrated with these delay tactics as well as Anglo Platinum's broken promises. The community told the management that they would sleep there and are not leaving until Anglo listens to them and makes a plan for their concerns. They have blocked the road into the shaft and are not permitting cars or trucks to go in or out. In the past Anglo has responded to community actions by calling the police who respond with intimidation, violence, and the arrest of politically active and outspoken activists.

Jerry Tshehlakgolo of the Magobading Crisis Committee stated that there are no structures that truly represent the community and that their concerns have been ignored for years now. Jerry said, "As relocated people, we are saying enough is enough. They dig our ancestors graves and our grannies are misplaced. We have no water. Our toilets don't work. We are sick of talking and talking, this will be a year of action!"

Naga ke ya rona! The Land is Ours!

[For more information, please contact Jerry Tshehlakgolo: 082 269 1901, Shuffla Mahlakoane: 076 042 3957
Emmanuel Makgoga 082 343 5095, or Anne Mayher (Jubilee South Africa) 082 398 6882 akmayher@hotmail.com