RUSTENBURG – As the date of the 2014 national elections draws closer, many are asking where they will need to be to cast their votes. According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), voters need to vote at the voting station where they registered. Voting stations in and around Rustenburg include Vastrap Primary School, Protea Park Primary School, Kloof Primary School, David Brink Primary School, Karleen Park Primary, Rustenburg North Primary and Tlhabane West Primary.

The platinum industry strike has lasted 12 weeks and the industry’s striking employees have lost over R5.5 billion in wages. Impala has lost around 185 000 ounces of platinum production and over R4.0 billion in revenue. AMCU’s wage demand of R12 500 a month in basic salary over four years still represents an increase of approximately 30% per year over that period. This remains completely unaffordable and will have disastrous consequences for our Rustenburg operations and our employees. 

RUSTENBURG – The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has allegedly denied claims that its members are defecting to other unions amidst rumours that a large percentage of Amcu’s members were allegedly returning to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). According to reports in the national media, Amcu is claiming that it is still some 120 000 members strong and has allegedly described claims that it is losing members as “propaganda”. It also allegedly said that it had started a trust fund for its striking workers.

To read the full story, read our 18 April 2014 issue.

RUSTENBURG – It seems that not even those who are allegedly advising members of the public to make use of the dumping site in Bethlehem Drive (next to the Correctional Services) are willing to go to the site for fear of being attacked. This according to Agust Schnepel, a contractor at the Tlhabane Health Care Centre, who is the employer of four men who fell victim to the dumping site on Tuesday afternoon, 8 April, at around 13:00. According to Schnepel, his men were attacked by three suspects who jumped on his truck driven by his four employees.

To read the full story, read our 18 April 2014 issue.

RUSTENBURG – Die 16-jarige tienerseun van Marina Scheepers, ‘n inwoner van Rustenburg, is op Dinsdag, 8 April, om 13:00 deur drie verdagtes aangeval toe hy na die Virgin Active-gimnasium toe gestap het. Volgens me Scheepers is haar seun, Reyno Pienaar, naby die Raemor Park-kompleks deur drie mans, almal om en by 26-jaar oud, eers met ‘n baksteen in ‘n veldjie aangeval. Die mans het blykbaar met geweld probeer om die seun se selfoon by hom te vat. 

RUSTENBURG - Gains in the shares of Amplats may be sharply reversed once the costs of returning strike-hit production are computed. “The market is under-estimating the costs to the mines of the strike,” Stephen Meintjes, head of research at Imara said. “It is going to take a long time to ramp those back up into production.”

To read the full story, read our 18 April 2014 issue.

RUSTENBURG – The world’s second largest platinum producer, Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) has denied allegations that it entered a state of “lock-out” on Friday, 11 April. Bonus sister publication, Rustenburg Herald, was told last week that Implats would be sending all of its non-striking workers home and “completely shutting down its operations” while still conducting necessary maintenance. Implats has confirmed that this is untrue.

To read the full story, read our 18 April 2014 issue.

RUSTENBURG – A very distressed Heidi Pfeiffer (67) told Rustenburg Herald, on Wednesday, 9 April, how her purse was stolen in a shop at the Magaliesview Shopping Centre. The purse was stolen on Friday, 4 April, by unknown individuals who apparently asked Mrs Pfeiffer to retrieve a loaf of bread from the top of a shelf. As she was allegedly reaching the persons took the purse from her handbag and attempted to withdraw money from one of Mrs Pfeiffer’s accounts six times.

To read the full story, read our 18 April 2014 issue.