RUSTENBURG, NORTH WEST — Hundreds of unemployed residents from communities surrounding Rustenburg marched to the Impala Platinum Mine recruitment centre this week, demanding fair employment opportunities and protesting the alleged exclusion of locals from mining jobs in the North West Province. The Impala Platinum Mine jobs protest highlights growing frustrations among local youth who feel sidelined as the mining company recruits workers from outside the province and foreign nationals.
The demonstrators, primarily young people from villages including Rasimone and Tlhabane Township, gathered outside the recruitment centre with their CVs in hand. They argue that their communities are ravaged by severe youth unemployment, despite the extensive mineral extraction taking place in their backyard.
A community leader at the march, outlined the residents’ core grievances. She stated that Impala Platinum has developed a tendency of recruiting outsiders and requiring prior experience for general work, which local youth lack. She highlighted the severe financial toll on the community, noting that a salary of 15,000 rand is a significant amount of money for the unemployed, many of whom rely on elderly pensioner parents for survival.
“We are not here to disrupt the operation but we are here to say we are looking for a job and not a criminal record,” she said. She referenced a Cosatu march two weeks prior, noting that 200 people were brought in to work at the mine’s shaft. Furthermore, out of 244 dismissed workers, those with passports were allegedly reinstated while locals were left out. She also criticized the limitation of opportunities, such as offering only 100 Rock Drill Operator (RDO) positions restricted to one per village.
A major point of contention is the mine’s system, described by protesters as a “myle” system, which relies on traditional leaders and counselors to submit applications on behalf of the community. Protesters allege this system is flawed, claiming some individuals are colluding with Impala officials to favor specific people. She emphasized that the youth are demanding the establishment of an elected employment steering committee to directly engage with the mine on recruitment and Social and Labour Plans (SLPs), completely bypassing chiefs and traditional leaders.
During the morning of the protest, a labor request was sent through for 15 novices. She demanded that Impala hire 15 locals on the spot as a show of good will. Additionally, protesters noted that 25 new positions had been advertised that morning and demanded the mine postpone the closing date until the community could properly engage.
In response to the growing crowd, mine management initially suggested that residents apply through a new online recruitment portal, which they promised to launch within two weeks. The portal would allow users to upload their CVs using free data. However, the residents firmly rejected the online suggestion, insisting that management physically collect their CVs on the spot.
A Stakeholder Relations Manager for Impala Platinum, traveled from Johannesburg to address the protesters. She initially refused to accept the physical CVs. A local leader from ward 144, described her initial stance as arrogant but confirmed that the community successfully forced management’s hand.
“We managed to make sure that the CVs were taken into Impala today,” he said. “We want Impala to know that the community of Rustenburg no longer wants to associate with counselors and leaders who bring in the people they favor. We want a steering committee from the community, from the youth of Rustenburg, that is going to engage with Impala.”
Following threats from the residents to blockade the entrance to the recruitment centre, mine management eventually relented and collected the physical CVs. The stakeholder also committed to meeting with the residents the following week to discuss the submitted applications and the way forward.
While the protesters view the collection of their CVs as a successful outcome, they remain vigilant. She warned that if the promised online portal fails to work or if the mine does not honor the upcoming engagement, they will resume their actions.
He echoed this sentiment, issuing a stern warning to the mine: if the meeting is not held next week and the community steering committee is not officially recognized, the protesters will return next Thursday and close the recruitment centre’s entrance once again.
Impala Platinum maintains that there are currently no immediate vacancies available, but the formation of the community steering committee and next week’s scheduled meeting mark a critical step in addressing the deep-rooted unemployment crisis in the Rustenburg mining belt.
