MENZI JELE

IZINHLANGANO zamabhizinisi zithi zikhathazekile ngokuvalwa kwemboni yensimbi eNewcastle, enyakatho yeKwaZulu-Natal. INewcastle Business Chamber, neNewcastle Growth Coalision, bathi ukuvalwa kwe-Arcelor-Mittal Factory, ekhiqiza insimbi, kuzoholela ekutheni ikati lilale eziko emindenini eminingi.

Le mboni, inamagatsha eNewcastle, eVeereni-ging, naseWitbank, kanti ziwu-3 500, izisebenzi ezizolahlekelwa wumsebenzi.
Izingxoxo phakathi kwezinyunyana nezikhulu zemboni, zifinyelele kwangqingetshe njengoba inkampani ithi ayisekho inzuzo eyenzayo kule nkampani, yikho kudilizwa nje. Kunethimba eseliqonde naseHhovisi likaMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa, liyoncenga ukuthi uhulumeni angenelele.

UMnu Marius Pretorius, onguSomabhizinisi eNewcastle, uthe ukuvalwa kwale mboni kuzobalimaza kakhulu.
"Ukudilizwa kwabantu abaningi kangaka kuzodala ubugebengu edolobheni lethu namaphethelo. Nathi emkhakheni wamabhi-zinisi sizolahlekelwa ngabantu abebesixhasa. Banezingane nemindeni abayondlayo laba bantu asebezojika nelanga emakhaya.

"Uhulumeni  ikhona into angayenza ukuhlenga imisebenzi yalaba bantu. Inkampani ikhale ngokuthi sekuthengwa imikhiqizo yensimbi evela eChina. Insimbi ekhiqizwa kuleli ayisenayo imakethe, ayisathengwa. Kulapho-ke uhulume-ni okufanele angenelele khona. Abaphathi bemboni bakhala nangokuthi ugesi uyabiza kule ndawo, yize iNewcastle kuyidolobha elincane," echaza.

Inyunyana iSolidarity ekhulumela izisebenzi, ithi izoqhubeka nokungqongqoza eminyangweni kahulumeni. Ithi uma isimo singavumi, izothu-thela amalungu ayo anamakhono kwezinye izimboni. Kwenzeka lo mshophi nje eNewcastle, izisebenzi zaseZululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC), oKhukho, eMahlabathini, ebezitelekile, ezinye sezithole izincwadi ezizikhomba indlela. Inkampani ekhiqiza ilahle lena osekuneminyaka yaba khona.

Izisebenzi zaqala ukuhudula izinyawo ekuphe-leni konyaka odlule, ngo-Agasti 2024. Abaphathi beZAC esitatimendeni basole inyunyana iNational Union of Mine Workers (NUM) ngokudukisa izisebenzi.
"Inkampani ibe nezingxoxo ezinzulu nabaholi beNUM sibachazela ukuthi imayini ayikho esimweni esihle ngakwezezimali. Umkhiqizo awusafani naseminyakeni eyadlule ngeke sisakwazi ukubaholela amabhonasi.

"Phezu kwalokho sabatshengisa izinhlelo esinazo njengoba sakwazi ukuhlenga imisebe-nzi ewu-1 000 engabe kudala yalahleka.
Izingxoxo phakathi kwabaqashi neNUM nakhona zifinyelele kwangqingetshe, izisebenzi zifuna ukunyuselwa amaholo nokuphuculelwa izimo zokusebenza," kusho isitatimende seZAC.

Udaba lwasoKhukho luze lwangenwa ngama-khosi, eyakwaZungu, eyakwaMlaba, eyakwaZulu eMatheni, neyakwaZulu, kwaMandlakazi okuyizizwe ezakhe eduze nale mayini.
menzi.jele@ilanganews.co.za