JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The challenges facing the South African mining industry were about far more than the tragedy of Marikana or the migrant labour system, Minister in the Presidency and chairperson of the National Planning Commission Trevor Manuel said on Thursday, stressing that deficiencies in the systems of equity and fairness were at the heart of the problem.

Speaking at the yearly Ruth First memorial lecture at the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, he stated that there were enormous tensions in the mining sector that might be aggravated during the wage bargaining season, especially in the platinum sector.

“The divide among the workers was one of the reasons that gave rise to the events at Marikana in August last year, and I have the sense that the bifurcation will remain in the sector for some time. Some of this may also spill over to other industries,” he said.

Manuel said the events at Marikana should serve as a wake-up call for the country to deal with the deep-seated causes of the unrest.

“Colonial oppression and racial exploitation, perpetuated for over three centuries and dominates our history,” he said, adding that the causes of the Marikana tragedy stemmed from this history and pattern of exploitation.

“While there have been positive developments, the system of migrant labour, of leaving one’s family to work in difficult conditions deep underground for a relatively small return, has not changed in a century and a half.

“Again, while acknowledging that there have been improvements in wages and living conditions, the relative returns to the small number of mine owners and managers stands in stark contrast to that of the workers and the communities from which they hail,” Manuel stated.

It is estimated that there are 38 informal settlements along the Rustenburg platinum belt, with the 2011 census indicating that 40% of the households in the Marikana ward lived in informal dwellings, as opposed to the national average of 15%.

“Platinum miner Lonmin employs some 28 000 workers but provides accommodation to less than 10% of this number,” he said.

According to the Mining Charter single-sex hostels had to be converted into family units by 2014; however, Manuel said that this target was unlikely to be reached, and even if it were met, it would only improve the living conditions of a small section of workers, the others still receiving a living-out allowance.

He was not remiss in apportioning responsibility for the situation when he stated that providing housing and infrastructure to ensure decent living conditions should be a straightforward task, but that matters were complicated by how the responsibilities were allocated within government.

“The tragic events of Marikana also indicate the worst effects of poor coordination between the actions and circumstances of mining houses, workers and government.

“Mining houses are not able to provide decent housing to all the workers and government cannot meet the growing demand for low-cost housing. Faced with pressures on their incomes mineworkers who receive living-out allowances use these to supplement their incomes by living in informal dwellings.”

The micro-lending system also put further pressure on workers, with 13 micro-lenders operating in the vicinity of Marikana, and many workers parting with more than 50% of their monthly wage to settle debts.

However, Manuel stated that the issue of intergenerational poverty was a far more concerning feature of the country’s present reality than the living conditions of mineworkers.

He pointed out that while opportunities had been broadened for many families since 1994, the probability of receiving good healthcare, education and nutrition was still too low.

“The probability of someone from a township or rural area getting to an university and getting a job as a professional is yet even smaller,” he said.

Meanwhile, after the memorial lecture a group of protesters from the Marikana Support Group disrupted the proceedings demanding that Manuel answer their questions, such as whether Cabinet was behind the decision to use live ammunition on the miners last year.

Manuel did not respond to the group, and the protesters were ushered from the venue still demanding to know whether he “gave the order to kill people at Marikana”.

Last year, police gunned down 34 Lonmin workers during protest action at Marikana.