14 March 2000
On Thursday, 16 March 2000 the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Cde. Blade Nzimande will go underground to spend the day with mine workers at the Driefontein mine in Carletonville. Nzimande will be accompanied by senior leaders of the SACP and the National Union of Mineworkers in Gauteng.
The SACP invites members of the media to join Nzimande in this visit.
Cde. Nzimande will inspect the working conditions and safety precautions in the
underground operations of the mine. He will
also address several meetings of mine workers, a mass meeting in the afternoon. He will
also have lunch with shopstewards and the management of the mine. Nzimande will raise mine
safety, job losses and job creation in the mining industry and the
building of the SACP. This visit is part of the SACP campaign focusing on jobs as an
important foundation for the eradication of poverty.
The SACP considers Nzimande's visit to the Driefontein mine as historic. The SACP is
extremely concerned at continuing mine
accidents and lack of general safety in the mining industry. "Between 1900 and 1999,
more than 80 000 miners died in the mines. This shows how bosses have put profits before
the safety of mine workers.” said Nzimande.
The SACP is also concerned about job losses in the mining industry. Since 1991, 150 000
mining jobs have been lost. These
job losses mostly affect families of mine workers in rural areas and neighbouring
countries. Because there is no social security in South Africa, when one worker loses
his/her job it affects whole families and communities. In this regard, the SACP supports
initiatives by the NUM to stop job losses in the mining industry.
With this visit, Nzimande is inter-acting with ordinary workers about their lives,
their conditions, fears and interests. The
SACP is the leading political force of the poor and the working class. It is only a
socialist society that will address issues and interests of the poor and the working
class. The SACP is the party of socialism.
Contact – (for arrangements to join Blade Nzimande’s visit to Driefontein mine)
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information & Publicity
South African Communist Party
COSATU House, No. 1 Leyds Street - 7th Floor
Braamfontein 2001, Republic of South Africa
Tel: 27 11 339-3621/2 Fax: 27 11 339-4244
Cell: 083 651 0271
Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org