ANA reports that Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources heard on Wednesday that there was no reason to place Optimum Coal Mine into business rescue other than the financing woes of Tegeta Exploration and the now fugitive Gupta family.  

Goodwill Mthombeni, chairperson of the Optimum branch of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), told the committee that the union believed the reported sale of Optimum to a Swiss clothing company was not above board and that according to company statements Tegeta had made R2.2bn since it acquired the mine in 2016.   Mthombeni also reported that after a standoff with management, permanent workers at the coal mine began receiving their salaries on Tuesday.  NUM called a strike at Optimum last week in protest at workers not receiving their wages.  Mthombeni said similar problems had been reported at other mines belonging to Tegeta, including Koornfontein and Evander.  The management of Optimum on Wednesday failed to show up for the briefing to the committee.  The committee heard however from the Department of Mineral Resources that Optimum had flouted its social obligations, which it was stressed had been respected by the previous owners Glencore

• Read this report in full at Mining Weekly

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