Latest news with #EastRand
News24
15 hours ago
- Business
- News24
‘Mantashe is a liar': Zuma to file perjury case over R40m ex-mine workers' claim
Zuma tells City Press he will file a perjury case against Mantashe, accusing him of lying under oath. Mantashe responded with a crimen injuria charge against Zuma, calling the allegations defamatory. The dispute involves a payout from East Rand Property Mines liquidation in 1999, which mineworkers say was never delivered. Mining rights activist Zakhele Zuma says he plans to lay a perjury charge against Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, accusing him of giving false testimony in a sworn police statement. Zuma alleged that Mantashe, in the police statement, denied claims that he mishandled R40 million owed to former East Rand Property Mines (ERPM) mine workers. 'He lied under oath,' Zuma told City Press. 'This is about accountability, not politics. Instead of addressing the workers' concerns, the minister is using legal tactics to avoid the truth.' Zakhele Zuma WATCH: Ex-mine workers and families accuse Mantashe, NUM of betrayal, demand 'R40m, with interest' Earlier this month, Mantashe opened a crimen injuria case against Zuma at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria, after Zuma publicly accused him of failing to pay out the R40 million. When the ERPM was liquidated in 1999, at least 4 000 workers were affected. Many had worked deep underground for years, often in unsafe conditions. In the aftermath of the mine's closure, workers say they were told that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), then under the leadership of its general secretary, Mantashe, had received their settlement packages and would invest the money on their behalf. Zuma claims Mantashe assured workers their money would be invested for ten years, but no returns have materialised. Mantashe denied the allegations in an interview with City Press: 'I do not know this man personally, and these claims are false and defamatory. I will pursue legal action because I will not allow my name to be dragged through the mud.' Mantashe further told City Press that he believed Zuma was not acting independently, but is part of a broader political agenda, adding that while he does not know Zuma personally, he sees 'clear political motives' behind the activist's allegations. Mahlatsi Moleya WATCH: Paul Mashatile defends spending millions on overseas trips The core of the dispute concerns mostly elderly, uneducated mineworkers who say they trusted Mantashe's promise that their payout would be managed responsibly—something they say never happened. Both parties now find themselves in a legal battle, with Zuma preparing to charge Mantashe with perjury, while Mantashe continues to press charges for crimen injuria against Zuma.
The Herald
2 days ago
- The Herald
14-year-old boy killed in tragic accident involving 12-year-old driver in Brakpan
A 14-year-old boy was killed in a tragic accident involving a 12-year-old driver in Brakpan on the East Rand on Saturday. It is alleged the driver ignored a stop sign and hit the pedestrian. At about 1.45pm, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) accident bureau officers were called to the scene of the accident at the corner of Northdene and Madeley streets. On arrival, officers found the lifeless body of the 14-year-old pedestrian, who was declared deceased on the scene by paramedics. Also at the scene, officers found a Mazda that allegedly struck the pedestrian, driven by a 12-year-old. EMPD said the driver was handed over, in the company of his guardian, to the Brakpan police. The minor suspect is expected to appear in the Brakpan magistrate's court soon. TimesLIVE
News24
5 days ago
- Business
- News24
Ex-mine workers and families accuse Mantashe, NUM of betrayal, demand ‘R40m, with interest'
Ex-mine workers and families claim they were promised unpaid wages and severance packages after ERPM's 1999 liquidation but have received nothing. Union leaders, including Gwede Mantashe, pledged to invest the money for 10 years. Victims say they are owed millions and they want it paid with interest. More than two decades after the collapse of the East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM), former mine workers and their families are still demanding answers and their money. When the ERPM was liquidated in 1999, at least 4 000 workers were affected. Many had worked deep underground for years, often in unsafe conditions. In the aftermath of the mine's closure, workers say they were told that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), then under the leadership of its general secretary Gwede Mantashe, had received their settlement packages and would invest the money on their behalf. The mine was shut down after years of low productivity and financial strain. In 1998, it went into provisional liquidation and closed permanently the following year. Since then, former workers and their families have been left in limbo. This year, a group of ex-workers started organising under the Land and Minerals Movement, led by Zakhele Zuma. They held meetings, tracked down the paperwork and began pushing for accountability from both the NUM and the department of mineral resources and energy, which Mantashe now leads. Workers claim that at least R40 million was handed over to the NUM, to be invested for 10 years. Now, 25 years later, they say they have not received a cent and believe the money has grown with interest. In the Ramaphosa settlement on Gauteng's East Rand, Paulina Mokwena sits beside her husband, a former drill operator at the mine. He now struggles to walk, a condition she says was caused by injuries he sustained underground. Mahlatsi Moleya 'When the mine closed, Mantashe and the NUM were involved,' she says. 'They said they had the money. Now my husband's dying, and we haven't seen a cent. If he dies without that money, what does that say about justice in this country?' Former mine worker Leonard Maseko remembers the day the liquidators came in. He says it was then that the promises started. We were told Gwede Mantashe and his team had negotiated with the mine bosses. Later, they said the amount was too little and the money would be invested for ten years. Former mine worker Leonard Maseko 'That was more than 20 years ago. The money is there, they say, but Mantashe won't meet with us. No answers. No truth.' Some former mineworkers believe they were deliberately kept in the dark while others allegedly received hush-money payouts. "Hey, give people R2 on the corners,' says Maseko. 'Even Paul Kruger is said to be involved. But how? If the money is still in investments, where is that cash coming from?' Juliet Adam lost both her parents to this fight. Her father, who worked at the mine from 1967, died of TB in 2002. Her mother died years later, still pursuing the unpaid benefits. 'My parents died broke,' Adam says. We couldn't go to university, while others, like Mantashe's children, could. This fight has cost us everything. Timothy Sibisi, who claims he worked as Mantashe's bodyguard before he became the minister of mineral and petroleum resources, says his recent denial of any knowledge about the ERPM mine workers is deeply painful. I used to escort [protect] him every day. He was scared of being killed. I protected him. And now he says he doesn't know us. Timothy Sibisi Sibisi adds: 'It's betrayal, nothing less.' Mahlatsi Moleya Zuma, who leads the Land and Minerals Movement, has become a voice for the families. He says the group believes the outstanding amount is at least R40 million and that it should have grown with interest over the years. 'The figure is based on what former mine workers believe was owed in wages, packages and potential returns,' Zuma explains. We want that R40 million and the interest. We've been patient for 25 years. It's enough. Zakhele Zuma Rumours of secret payouts have only deepened the mistrust. 'We hear that some people were given money under the table, R1 000 here and there,' says Maseko. 'Where's that money coming from if it's all 'invested'?' The affected families say they have written to the NUM, Mantashe's office and the liquidators over the years but have received no proper response. Some say they have even been threatened or discouraged from pursuing the matter. City Press can confirm that documentation exists showing the NUM was involved in the payment arrangements for the funds intended for the mine workers and their families. What remains unclear is how the money was managed and why no payments have been made to workers. Timeline: A long wait for justice 1967: Juliet Adam's father begins work at the ERPM. 1998: ERPM placed under provisional liquidation. 1999: Mine shuts down; about 4 000 workers are affected. Early 2000s: R40 million reportedly handed to the NUM to invest for 10 years. 2017: No payments made; affected families demand transparency from the union. 2025: Workers organise under the Land and Minerals Movement. City Press contacted Mantashe and the NUM for comment. They had not responded by the time of publication. This is a developing story.
Mail & Guardian
03-06-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
Why Boksburg Lake turned red: Acid mine drainage confirmed as cause
The reason the Boksburg Lake on Gauteng's East Rand has turned a startling rusty red is toxic acid mine drainage (AMD) is seeping into the waterway from the Central mining Basin. (City of Ekurhuleni) The reason the This was confirmed by the state-owned An AMD decant happens when the acidic mine water 'daylights' on the surface from underground mining voids. This mining waste is The TCTA operates three AMD plants in three basins on the Witwatersrand goldfields for the The Central Basin plant has a maximum treatment capacity of 72 megalitres (million litres) a day, including planned outages and shutdowns calculated over a year, the TCTA said. It is operating at 64.7 megalitres a day, with an average of 56.8 megalitres a day over the past year. Acid mine drainage is the polluting legacy of more than a century of gold mining on the Witwatersrand. During underground operations, water was pumped to the surface to enable mining to take place. As mining stopped, the pumping of underground water ceased and the mine voids started filling with water. The sulphide minerals in the rocks were exposed to water and oxygen, which resulted in the formation of acidic mine water. 'The Central Basin plant has been largely operating without any major interruptions, even though there were some hiccups that did not significantly alter the plant's operations,' said Goitseone Kgwele, the operations manager for AMD plants. It continued to maintain an average treatment operating capacity of 57 megalitres a day over the past year, and the shaft level was maintained well below the decant point prior to the start of the current rainy season, he noted. Although the TCTA was aware that the mine water was close to the surface, because the level in the mine void rose substantially during the last rainy season, 'it was not possible to predict where and when it would surface'. The TCTA monitored the possible points of decant in the vicinity of Boksburg Lake and saw evidence of the decant of AMD on 21 May. 'However, at that stage, the decanting water volumes were still quite low, even though it was already evident that the AMD was affecting the colour of the water in the lake,' Kgwele said. The TCTA had conducted a routine check on 2 May and no AMD decant was observed. Witnesses in the area said they had started to notice a change in the colour of the lake's water from about 15 May. On 23 May, the Council for Geoscience identified a point on the canal, upstream of the lake, where clear water was flowing into the canal and immediately turning a reddish colour. This area is linked to the New Blue Sky incline shaft, which surfaces 100m north of the observation point. 'Although the shaft is capped, it appears that the mine water found a pathway from the shaft to the surface,' Kgwele said. The red colour of the water occurs when acid mine drainage comes into contact with oxygen. This was also confirmed through a chemical analysis of the water. Kgwele emphasised the water is not fit for human consumption and all people near the lake and downstream to Cinderella Dam should not drink the water. A team of officials from the department and the TCTA has put together a water quality monitoring programme along the stream, down to Natalspruit. Acid mine drainage is characterised by low pH levels. The TCTA said that at the point of decant, the pH level was recorded to be 5.7 to 7.2. In Boksburg Lake, the pH level ranged from 5.0 to 6.5. The water has also been affected by other sources of pollution that have lowered the pH level, the TCTA noted. By the time the water reached 'Indications thus far are that the decant will possibly subside on its own within days. However, evidence of the presence of AMD in the lake will possibly linger for a little longer,' Kgwele said. This includes more erratic weather patterns and increased frequency and intensity of rainfall. 'There are also uncertainties pertaining to the Western and Eastern Basins. A conservative and precautionary approach is advised in the management of AMD and surface and underground flow paths have to be investigated.' When the short-term treatment of AMD was implemented within the Witwatersrand goldfields, the then-department of water affairs and forestry argued that due to the emergency of the situation, that there should be an exemption of environmental impact assessment regulations for the proposed short-term intervention. 'The consequence of this exemption was that there are uncertainties regarding the inflows and outflows from the Basins and the sources of the inflows,' Liefferink noted. She said that the 'It reported that the 2011 ECLs [environmental critical levels] were based on conservative assumptions regarding mine flooding and groundwater levels, that ECLs can be set at much shallower depths and that this can be implemented with immediate effect.' Environmental critical levels are defined as the highest water levels within mine voids that should not be exceeded to prevent acid mine drainage from flowing out of the mine workings into surrounding surface or groundwater resources. 'The recent decant from the Central Basin adduces evidence that there are uncertainties, which ought to be investigated prior to the adjustments of the ECLs,' Liefferink added. The City of Ekurhuleni had not commented by the time of publication.
Zawya
20-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Biggles Removals weekly update on the East Rand's property, infrastructure and moving trends
A snapshot of property, economic, and infrastructure developments in The East Rand. This week we're covering Kempton Park, Edenvale, and Bedfordview. Whether you're relocating or investing, we combine the latest property insights with our local furniture moving experience in these eastern suburbs of Johannesburg. Kempton Park Kempton Park is a major transport and residential hub on the East Rand, located near OR Tambo International Airport. It features a mix of suburban homes, townhouses, and cluster developments, making it attractive to both families and working professionals. Property trends: Kempton Park is a high-volume property market known for affordability and accessibility. According to Lightstone Property, freehold homes dominate the landscape, with growing interest in sectional title units, particularly in suburbs like Glen Marais and Edleen. - Strong demand among first-time buyers and young families. - Sectional titles in areas like Birchleigh North attract investors due to high rental turnover. Infrastructure developments: The Kempton Park CBD Urban Design Precinct Plan, approved by the City of Ekurhuleni, focuses on redeveloping the central business district. This plan aims to enhance public spaces, encourage investment, and address urban decay, aligning with the city's broader Aerotropolis Master Plan. Adjacent to O.R. Tambo International Airport, ORTIA Precinct 2 is a 29-hectare Special Economic Zone (SEZ) designed to attract light industrial and manufacturing activities. The development includes essential municipal infrastructure such as water, sewer, electricity, roads, and IT services, positioning it as a hub for high-value, air-freightable products. Notable property developments in Kempton Park: - Riverfields Mixed-Use Precinct: A R7bn development combining residential, industrial, and retail spaces with sustainable infrastructure and growing commercial appeal. - Riverstone Wetland Estate: A sustainable lifestyle estate launched in 2025, featuring eco-friendly housing integrated into a preserved wetland environment. Investment appeal: Kempton Park offers reliable property performance with accessible entry points. Properties priced between R900,000 and R1.5m, particularly in Glen Marais, attract consistent buyer activity. Recent sales trends show cluster homes in this price bracket achieving rental yields of 8% to 10%, especially among airport staff and logistics workers. Sectional title snapshot: Complexes like Strelitzia, Spartan Village, and The Willows offer lock-up-and-go living with 24/7 security and are popular with airport staff and logistics professionals. Rental demand: One- to two-bedroom units near the airport rent for R5,500 to R9,000 per month. Demand spikes for furnished units catering to frequent flyers and airline staff. Biggles Removals – Kempton Park furniture movers: This past month, we helped several families with their furniture relocations in Kempton Park. A question we often get is: 'Will moving companies store your furniture?' Yes, most professional furniture movers offer storage solutions as part of their services. Storage can be arranged for short- or long-term periods. Many movers also offer flexible pricing based on the size of your load and the length of storage needed, making it a convenient option during transitional phases. It's always best to confirm availability and costs with your chosen moving company in advance. Bedfordview Bedfordview is one of Johannesburg's more affluent eastern suburbs, offering a blend of luxury homes, townhouses, and high-end sectional titles. Its excellent schools, gated communities, and close access to highways make it especially attractive to established families and business professionals. Property trends: Bedfordview consistently ranks as a premium property area. According to Lightstone, the suburb boasts some of the highest average property values on the East Rand. There's been a growing trend toward secure estates and smaller luxury clusters. - Freehold homes in gated estates remain in demand. - Modern apartments and clusters in complexes like The Nicol and The Bailey attract young professionals. Infrastructure developments: Bedfordview, a prestigious suburb in Gauteng, is experiencing notable urban development initiatives aimed at enhancing infrastructure and community amenities. The City of Ekurhuleni has allocated substantial budgets for mega projects, including the construction of new sewer and water pipelines in nearby areas like Pomona and Nigel. These projects are part of a broader initiative to improve living conditions and expand economic opportunities within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan District. Additionally, the city is advancing mega human settlement projects that encompass the provision of serviced sites with permanent infrastructure such as water, electricity, and sanitation, ready for the development of integrated human settlements. Notable property developments in Bedfordview: - Infinité: A landmark 15-storey, 200-unit luxury residential estate located near the Bill Stewart Nature Reserve. - Bedfordview Frontier: A modern, secure estate directly opposite Reddam House private school. Investment appeal: Bedfordview properties have shown capital growth of up to 6% annually over the past five years, with rental prices remaining resilient even during economic dips. Secure estates are especially attractive to executives and expatriates, with rental occupancy rates consistently above 90%. Sectional title snapshot: Developments like The Nicol, Villa Abrosia, and Bedford Gardens combine high-end finishes with hotel-style amenities. These units rent well to executives and short-term corporate tenants. Rental demand: Furnished 2-bedroom units in secure estates rent for R14,000 to R25,000 per month. Executive homes with modern finishes command upwards of R30,000 per month. Biggles Removals – Bedfordview moving company services: 'Do I need insurance for my move?' While not mandatory, moving insurance is highly recommended – especially for long-distance relocations or valuable furniture. Policies can be arranged through your moving company or independently, and typically cover damage, loss, and transit risks. Edenvale Edenvale is a well-established suburb located between Johannesburg and Kempton Park. With a mix of older family homes, newer clusters, and sectional title developments, Edenvale attracts a diverse population, from retirees to young professionals. Property trends: According to Property24, Edenvale has seen steady property demand, particularly in suburbs like Greenstone Hill, Edenglen, and Dowerglen. Greenstone has become a sectional title hotspot, while Edenglen is preferred for freestanding family homes with large gardens. - Greenstone Hill has over 60% of recent sales in sectional title. - Strong migration into the area from central Johannesburg due to affordability and lifestyle benefits. Infrastructure developments: Edenvale continues to benefit from its location near the N3, R24, and Modderfontein Road. The development of Greenstone Shopping Centre and the Greenstone Crest precinct has turned the area into a mixed-use urban hub with modern amenities. Notable property developments in Edenvale: - Greenstone Hill Developments: A series of modern residential complexes offering a range of apartments and townhouses. - Elma Park Orion Building: A mixed-use development strategically located near major transport routes, combining residential units with commercial spaces to create a vibrant community hub. Investment appeal: Edenvale offers mid-range investment opportunities with a wide rental market and easy access to major business hubs. According to Seeff, Edenvale properties offer strong resale value and low vacancy periods. Sectional title snapshot: In Greenstone, lifestyle estates offering shared gyms, pools, and work-from-home amenities see average vacancy periods of less than three weeks. These sectional title units also retain 90% and more of their value over a five-year holding period, according to Seeff's 2024 market report. Rental demand: Two-bedroom sectional title units in Greenstone rent for R9,000 to R14,000 per month. Demand is highest for secure units with parking and Wi-Fi, popular among digital professionals and small families. Biggles Removals – Edenvale furniture movers: 'Can moving companies move pets?' Most moving companies don't transport pets directly due to safety regulations and insurance limitations, but some offer assistance by coordinating with professional pet relocation services. These specialists ensure your pet travels safely by providing climate-controlled transport, vet checks, travel crates, and door-to-door delivery. It's best to arrange pet transport a few weeks in advance and use certified providers for a stress-free move. Furniture removal costs in Kempton Park and surrounding areas There are many affordable moving companies in Johannesburg, but furniture moving costs will always be dependent on several factors. This includes the volume of your furniture, the distance travelled, and additional services such as packing and wrapping that you may need from your moving company. Local moving company prices in Kempton Park and surrounds: 1–2 bedrooms: R1,500–R5,000 3–4 bedrooms: R6,000–R12,000 5+ bedrooms: R12,000–R20,000 Long-distance moves: Within 200km: R6,000 – R15,000 Over 200km: R15,000 – R30,000 Additional furniture moving services: Packing/unpacking: R500–R3,000 Furniture disassembly/reassembly: R300–R1,500 per item Storage solutions: R500–R2,000 per month
