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Fin24 reports that when Rio Tinto's Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) general manager for operations Nico Swart was gunned down on his way to work on Monday morning, it raised anxieties that recent spates of violence, intimidation and killings that have dogged the mine might be resurfacing.
RBM, situated in KwaZulu-Natal, has confirmed that Swart was killed in a shooting incident on Monday morning. Investigations by the police are still under way with regards to possible suspects and motives for the shooting of Swart. But the RBM operations and surrounding communities are no strangers to deadly violence occurring close to the mine's operations. In December 2019, the shooting of an employee brought operations to a halt. At the time, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) called for a meaningful resolution to the problems: "Our member was shot at while travelling on the bus to work and till now no arrest has been made. We call upon law enforcement agency to do their job.” This week, Rio Tinto indicated that RBM planned to continue operations on schedule. But the company did not respond to questions regarding safety concerns for employees and the surrounding community. A NUM member said about Monday’s murder: “We are not able to say whether this latest incident has anything to do with the mine. So, we are waiting for further information. Once we know if it does, we would be better position to comment." IFP MP Nkululeko Nxumalo condemned Swart's killing, referring to it as a "senseless assassination". He said: "Central to these killings is the failure of the provincial premier (Sihle Zikalalato) find a lasting solution that could have put an end to the killings of this nature. It is clear that his attempts to resolve conflicts which had forced RBM to close in 2019 did not yield necessary intervention and more should have been done to resolve and end the problems."
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24 (paywall access only)
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