Mining Weekly reports that the Minerals Council SA (MCSA) has condemned the acts of violence and looting that have been spreading through various parts of the country, particularly KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
“We are deeply concerned about the loss of life,” the MCSA (previously known as the Chamber of Mines) said in a statement on Wednesday. It bemoaned the destruction of assets and the consequent impact on livelihoods, which would have devastating consequences and would also interrupt the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out. The MCSA also stressed that the images of mayhem playing across screens in SA and abroad “will have a lasting impact in discouraging investment”. However, while the industry supported the deployment of military resources in the circumstances, the MCSA implored that this be done in line with basic human rights standards, including the minimum use of force. It has also, as business, committed to working with social partners in government, organised labour and civil society to help restore law and order, which it said was “the foundation of a constitutional democracy”.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly
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