In a Rustenburg mine situated approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, over 2,000 South African workers are persisting with their sit-in protest for the third consecutive day, remaining underground.
“For some time we thought this is just a sit-in but as developments came out, those that are able to leave underground tell us that workers underground are held against their will, so it is actually a hostage situation,” Geoffrey Moatshe, the regional secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers told media on Wednesday.
The protest, initiated on Monday, has been deemed illegal as it did not receive authorization from the National Union of Mineworkers.
Reportedly triggered by disputes concerning a profit-sharing program and the release of workers’ pension funds, the demonstration is taking place at the Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine, recently acquired by Implats, the involved mining company. Implats confirmed that 167 workers had safely emerged, but 2,038 others remained underground as of Tuesday.