A sit-in Impala Platinum’s Rasimone mine in North West which began on Monday, appears to have resolved nothing. Hunger, fatigue and the looming holiday and payday likely broke the protesters’ resolve.

All the miners had returned to the surface by just after 5pm on Wednesday, according to Implats. And so ended a seemingly pointless strike, which was at least the fifth involving an underground sit-in to hit South Africa’s mining sector in the past two months.

The Ramisone mine is part of Impala Bafokeng; Implats became the owner of the asset earlier this year when it acquired Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat). That change of ownership seems to have triggered a level of uncertainty in the shafts, which was exploited by the ringleaders of the protest.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) – the sole union at the mine – says the instigators were disgruntled members who had vied unsuccessfully for leadership positions. The strike took both the NUM and Implats management by surprise.

“We were also caught by surprise. It was not sanctioned by NUM,” Rustenburg NUM regional secretary Geoffrey Moatshe told Daily Maverick.

“These guys tried to get leadership positions at NUM and they failed. So they spread lies and promised quick money to miners.”

Those lies included the promise of instant access to savings and pension funds. Miners are relatively well paid, but that is still a red rag to an indebted worker facing high interest rates and the demands of many dependants.

“It appears the underlying source of contention which… motivated the illegal underground protest is principally among employees and relates to several misinterpretations and misunderstandings brought to the fore by the recent change in ownership at Impala Bafokeng. Ostensibly, these views are shared by those initiating the illegal protest action,” Implats said in a statement.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Implats latest SA mining company to be hit by underground sit-in

According to Implats, the bones of contention were as follows:

• A view that accumulated pension fund balances could be paid out to employees.
• A view that statutory taxation provisions should not apply to award and/or bonus payments.
• Concerns about the historical employee profit share arrangement being converted, at the election of employees, into an employee share ownership trust.

None of these issues was resolved and, as it was an “unprotected strike”, anyone who voluntarily took part could potentially be fired.

Moatshe said many of those who have surfaced said they were coerced – an echo of the recent hostage situations at the Gold One mine east of Johannesburg.

In all likelihood, the protesters’ resolve was broken by hunger and fatigue. Implats sent protein shakes down the shaft to provide nourishment, but that’s no substitute for carbs and vleis.

Then there was the small matter of payday – which is Thursday – just ahead of the Christmas holidays.

“The guys want to get their wages and go home,” said Moatshe.

There is nothing like the annual Christmas holiday to nip labour unrest in the bud.

But the spate of underground wildcat strikes bodes ill for labour relations in South Africa’s mining sector in the new year.

Rasimone is an underperforming mine which is burning cash while platinum group metals (PGM) prices are under pressure, making it a candidate for restructuring.

This is sadly ironic as one of the appeals of the RBPlats’ assets to Implats was that they were seen as a safety valve to move workers from its old Rustenburg operations that are nearing the end of their productive life.

The NUM reckons that as many as 35,000 job cuts are looming in South Africa’s mining sector in 2024, and lay-offs can be a trigger for labour protests.

Whether it is underground or on the surface, the risk of more unrest is high after miners return from the holidays. DM