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The families of three mine workers who were trapped underground in an Mpumalanga mine three years ago have joined the calls for the permanent removal of the business rescue practitioner, Rob Devereux.
Devereux has been in a precarious position for a while following a breakdown of relations with the controlling shareholders of Vantage Goldfields SA and the Siyakhula Sonke Empowerment Corporation (SSC), and complaints by the Barbrook creditors’ committee.
SSC bought 74% of Vantage Goldfields and took control of the Lily and Barbrook goldmines, which were put under business rescue in 2016, following the collapse of an entrance to a shaft on February 5 2016.
About two months ago Devereux appointed another business rescue practitioner, Daniel Terblanche, to work with him to deal with tension between him and SSC’s CEO, Fred Arendse.
Arendse accused Devereux of not disclosing that there was gold in the tailings dam that could generate R549 million in revenue and had not embarked on a project to extract the gold.
The families of the three miners – Solomon Nyirenda, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule – had written to Devereux and Terblanche to protest about a group that had told him to remove SSC.
SSC signed the deal to buy 74% of Vantage Goldfields after receiving R190 million from the Industrial Development Corporation.
The SSC committed to raising more funds to cover the R310 million needed to reopen the mine.
The mineral resources department had approved the transfer of mineral rights to SSC.
“It has come to our attention,” the families wrote to Devereux, “that a group of individuals who call themselves community leaders had written a letter to you, instructing Mr Rob to remove the SSC group at our local mines.
“We confirm that those individuals are not community leaders or ex-employees. Those are people who were hired to [disrupt reopening] of the [Barbrook and Lily] mines,” the families said.
The families said they were not consulted and their rights were disrespected. They accused Devereux of being driven by “self-gain” for deciding not to work with SSC.
“We, the families, have no faith in [Devereux]. Your time has been long overdue; we are done with your empty promises,” they said, adding that they had given SSC permission to name three shafts after the three workers.
The two mines fall under the Lomshiyo Traditional Council, whose lawyers denied being at a community meeting or approving a resolution that expressed dissatisfaction with the SSC. “We are also very unhappy about [Devereux’s] conduct which has failed these companies and the community for more than three years,” said Lomshiyo’s lawyer, Wonder Nkosi.
