S.Africa's east platinum belt hit by over 400 social unrest incidents since 2016, 10 April 2018

The eastern limb of South Africa’s platinum belt has been hit by over 400 incidents of social unrest impacting mining operations since the start of 2016, according to data compiled by Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) and provided to Reuters. The restive region in the country’s northeast has been a flashpoint of violence rooted in community grievances over jobs, revenue flows and conflict between rival unions that threatens production in the world’s top producer of the precious metal...The compiled incidents range from roadblocks to wildcat strikes to physical assaults against miners. On average over the period, either a roadblock, wildcat strike, march or act of violence took place in the region every second day which affected a mining operation in some way...The operations most affected in terms of the sheer number of incidents were Bokoni, a mothballed joint venture shared by Amplats and Atlatsa Resources, which recorded 122, and Impala Platinum’s (Implats) Marula mine, which had 102...