MC Mining says Uitkomst colliery resumes after losing about 5,600 tons of production

MINING resumed at the Uitkomst Colliery in KwaZulu-Natal province, said 70% owner MC Mining in a statement to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

An estimated three-and-a-half days of run of mine coal production had been lost – about 5,600 tons – owing to its suspension amid protests last week in the province following the earlier incarceration of the former president, Jacob Zuma.

“Bus service providers contracted by the company have advised the civil unrest in and around the towns and communities where the majority of the Uitkomst mine employees and contractors reside has sufficiently dissipated for employees to safely transit to and from the Uitkomst colliery,” the company said.

It was currently assessing mine plans with the objective of recovering some or all of the forgone production.

BusinessLive said earlier today that the operations of Petmin and Ikwezi Mining, also in KwaZulu-Natal province, were interrupted. there were reports of absenteeism at Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC), owned by Menar.

Menar said the railing of products has been interrupted at ZAC as well as its two other Mpumalanga coal operations due to the inability of Transnet Port Terminals, Transnet Freight Rail and private ports to perform.

The jailing of Zuma, on contempt of court charges, led to protests that then deteriorated into the looting of retail centres and industrial sites.

Rail and port facilities owned by Transnet were interrupted while telecommunication masts were also destroyed. An estimated 212 people have died as a result of the protests which also flowed into Gauteng province.