Miners' strike tops S Africa congress agenda - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Miners' strike tops S Africa congress agenda - Africa - Al Jazeera English

If anyone is interested here is the website of Anglo-Amiricana Platinum: http://www.angloplatinum.com/

Some thoughts: Platinum is a precious metal and as is clear in the website Anglo-American's shares are up; so why do not they share the profit with their workers: the ones digging, ingesting dust particles; sacrificing their health, quality of life and longevity for a meager salary?

 "Platinum is used in catalytic converters, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts and electrodes, platinum resistance thermometers, dentistry equipment, and jewelry. Because only a few hundred tonnes are produced annually, it is a scarce material, and is highly valuable and is a major precious metal commodity. Being a heavy metal, it leads to health issues upon exposure to its salts, but due to its corrosion resistance, it is not as toxic as some metals.^[3] Compounds containing platinum, most notably cisplatin, are applied in chemotherapy against certain types of cancer.^[4]"   

(My selection) Wikipedia



Furthermore, although the workers are Africans natives,  the name of the company Anglo-American Platinum suggests that the company is ran by white exploiters who- as much as during colonialism or apartheid -  exploit African resources and labor. Yet, they do no share the profits raked.

"Controversy

Anglo Platinum, the world's largest platinum miner and a subsidiary of Anglo American PLC, the world's fifth largest mining corporation, filed SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) against a South African public interest lawyer Richard Spoor, who represented indigenous communities affected by platinum mining on tribal land. The actions include an application in the High Court for a so-called gagging order, ostensibly to prevent him further injuring the good name and reputation of the corporation, the lodging of complaints with the Law Society of unprofessional behaviour and the lodging of a civil action for damages for some $500,000. Anglo Platinum also obtained an ex parte (without notice) order interdicting two tribal chiefs from interfering with their mining operations and had them arrested on charges of intimidation and trespass. Subsequently, followers of the two tribal chiefs were shot, beaten and arrested for protesting the mine's presence on tribal land.^[1][2]

In August 2007, British charity War on Want published a report accusing Anglo Platinum's parent company Anglo American of profiting from the abuse of people in the developing countries in which the company operates.^[3] In the report, Anglo Platinum is accused of displacing communities in South Africa, including forcing the entire Magobading community off its land and into the Mecklenberg township."  Wikipedia (My selection)

Now how can the west and particularly the US wonder why the world is angry at us.

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