The conflict between community activist Zakhele Zuma and Minerals and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe remains far from resolved.
The news comes after Zuma, who leads the Land and Minerals Movement, on Tuesday rocked up at Luthuli House, the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg, with more than 60 former mineworkers looking for Mantashe.
The former mineworkers, whose plight has been championed by Zuma, claim that Mantashe owes them a combined sum of R40-million.
The R40-million claim has landed Zuma in trouble, with Mantashe opening a crimen injuria complaint at the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria last week.
But Zuma says no law enforcement has come to him for his version and is confident that such a case would not stick.
Promise not fulfilled
According to Zuma, it is the former mineworkers who say Mantashe made off with their R40-million, promising he was going to invest it.
This occurred in 1999 when Mantashe was general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
“The Land and Minerals Movement was approached by former EMRP mineworkers who were referred to us by the Department of Labour,” Zuma recalled of his first involvement in the saga.
“During our meeting, the workers shared their experience with minister Gwede Mantashe, who allegedly assisted them during his time at the National Union of Mineworkers.
According to the workers, Mantashe told them that after the mine’s liquidation, he would invest R40-million, combined with funds from the sale of the company’s assets, to benefit the workers.
“The workers claim that minister Mantashe made a promise, quoting him as saying, ‘you will never ride a bicycle again but buy new cars after the investment’.”
Zuma said he was told by the former mineworkers that Mantashe turned on them and claimed not to know them, which is why he is assisting them.
Mantashe asked to account
At Luthuli House, one of the former mineworkers, Melusi Jason, said: “We came here to confront Mr Mantashe about our money that he took in 1999.
“Mr Mantashe took R40-million of our money, claiming he was going to invest it when he was working with us as our union boss at NUM.
Zuma told Sunday World that Mantashe must account to former mineworkers about their money and not use him as a scapegoat.
“The workers state that minister Mantashe has not followed up on this promise [to invest their R40-million],” Zuma said.
“We created a video requesting that the minister meet with the workers, and he subsequently contacted me, denying knowledge of the workers and the alleged R40-million.
“Instead, he mentioned his involvement in a programme to educate the children of former mineworkers, who have since become engineers.”
Threat to drag Zuma to court
Zuma continued: “The workers are now requesting a meeting with minister Mantashe to hear his response directly.
“I want to emphasise that the Land and Minerals Movement has no ties to the MK Party [uMkhonto weSizwe Party], and any claims suggesting otherwise are defamatory.”
Mantashe last week said he would pursue Zuma for defamation in court and unleash police on him for crimen injuria.
Zuma expressed his eagerness to confront the legal threats and vowed to defend his reputation as a community activist.
Zitha Langa, the ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s office organiser, gave Zuma and the former mineworkers an audience.
Langa promised a follow-up meeting where Mantashe will be present alongside NUM bosses to give an explanation to aggrieved former mineworkers.
