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NUM demands the immediate removal of Neal Froneman as Sibanye Stillwater CEO

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NUM demands the immediate removal of Neal Froneman as Sibanye Stillwater CEO

Press Statement, 11 March 2022

NUM demands the immediate removal of Neal Froneman as Sibanye Stillwater CEO

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is calling on Sibanye Stillwater's shareholders to remove Neal Froneman as the company Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect if they want their mines to prosper in South Africa and for refusing to meet trade union leaders.

Froneman consistently refuses to meet with trade union leaders in South Africa but he can travel overseas to meet with white trade union leaders.

“He does go to countries such as the United States to meet with white trade union leaders. If Sibanye-Stillwater shareholders want their mining operations to prosper in South Africa, they should remove him as CEO”, said Joseph Montisetse, NUM President.

"Froneman is the major destroyer of jobs in the mining industry in the country. He did buy the Cook operations in the Gold Sector in South Africa, and he immediately put them on care and maintenance which resulted in huge job losses or retrenchments.

Froneman's main objective is to punish workers and their families. He also bought Lonmin and Anglo Platinum operations in the platinum belt, he also put some of the operations on care and maintenance. He then retrenched a lot of workers,” added Montisetse.

Froneman should unconditionally apologise to the mineworkers for playing with their emotions.

In an interview with the Daily Maverick earlier this week under the headline “ Sibanye-Stillwater’s Froneman speaks out - South Africa is a failed state with no leadership”, Froneman co-joined “ inequality and poverty” as the main reason why South Africa was a failed state.

Who does Neal Froneman think he is? Why can’t he channel his energy into addressing the wage gaps that are existing in the mining industry? Is Froneman thinking he is untouchable?

"It is an insult to attack the leadership of this country. Froneman is also attacking the religious, trade union and community leaders as a whole. This is unacceptable," Montisetse said.

Mineworkers are deeply trapped in poverty because of people of Froneman’s calibre. Why can't he take full responsibility as one of the people who are contributing to that?

As we speak right now thousands of mineworkers across the Sibanye-Stillwater operations, the company that Froneman is a CEO, are on indefinite strike action. Those poor workers are being pushed into poverty, they are just demanding better wages. Workers' patience has been tested by ruthless and arrogant attitudes like the one Froneman is publicly demonstrating.

If he was man enough, Froneman should have considered calling a meeting with trade union leaders, to talk and address the plight of the employees.

Instead, together with his crew, they are continuing to award themselves with huge bonuses at the sweat and blood of those poor workers.

The NUM is calling on the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to withdraw the mining licences on all mines or operations that have been put on care and maintenance by Sibanye Stillwater.

The NUM is determined to pursue its demands for an increase of R1000 for surface, underground miners and 6% for artisans, miners and officials.

The NUM and AMCU members are not going to capitulate in fighting for better salaries and benefits at Sibanye Stillwater.

DOWN WITH CAPITALIST BARBARISM DOWN

For more detailed information, please contact:

Joseph Montisetse, NUM President, 082 809 2391

Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 083 809 3257

Luphert Chilwane, NUM Media Officer, 083 809 3255

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167

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About Us
The National Union of Mineworkers was founded in 1982.

Its birth was facilitated by comrades Cyril Ramaphosa who rose to be its first General Secretary, James Motlatsi who turned to be its first President, and Elijah Barayi who became its Vice President and later the President of Cosatu in 1985 when the federation was formed. porn