Mhluzi Reflection

25/08/2019

13/05/2018

We Wanna take this time , to acknowledge, All Mothers , grandmothers, even you sisters who play the role of a mother and to those whose Mothers passed on stay Strong.

Mothers -Thanks for being there through the tears, laughter and dirty diapers. Thank you for all the ways you go above and beyond every day for our family. We are so lucky to have you.

There is no one like a mother and, no mother quite like you. You are so very thoughtful and caring, and we just wanted to thank you

Happy Mother’s Day with all thanks and love

29/04/2018

We're saddened to hear the news of the tragic and sudden passing of multitalented actor, producer, TV , Akhumzi Jezile.

Police spokesperson Captain Namhla Mdleleni told TshisaLIVE the accident claimed five lives and happened on the N6 near Queenstown in the early hours of Saturday morning. However, she could not confirm the identity of those killed because this had not yet been discussed with the family.

Akhumzi won a Best Supporting Actor in a TV Drama Safta in 2014 for his role as Ngulube in Tempy Pushas.

He later rejoined YoTV, where he had earlier been a presenter, as a producer on its The Big Breakfast show.

27/03/2018

27/03/2018

Mantashe to stop job cuts at Gupta-owned mine in Middelburg

By Lucas Shongwe

In an attempt to prevent any job cuts at the Gupta owned coal mine Optimum Coal, Mineral Resources minister Gwede Mantashe visited the mine in Middelburg on Thursday 08 March following a strike by workers over unpaid salaries. Minister Mantashe accompanied by the department’s Director General and NUM union officials paid a scant visit to the mine to resolve challenges currently faced by the mine.

The mine employees recently went on a week strike after the mine had failed to pay their salaries in February. This follows the Bank of Baroda's decision to pull out of the country after the state controlled hawks had frozen all Gupta-linked operations in the country following investigations into state capture. The mine and other Gupta-owned companies have been placed under business rescue. Mantashe said that government will work with industry to ensure a business rescue process at the troubled Gupta-owned Optimum Mine.

“The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources has noted with grave concern in the latest developments at the Optimum coal mine in Mpumalanga in which workers are on strike to demand salaries. The committee understands that workers are also demanding answers about the future of the mine. The committee is in receipt of a letter from the National Union of Mine Workers requesting its intervention in the ongoing impasse. Gupta mine shutdown won't leave SA in darkness: Eskom South Africans do not need to fear periods of darkness due to the shutdown and failure of the Gupta-owned Optimum Coal Mine to supply coal to Eskom,” said a statement from the committee.

Sahlulele Luzipo‚ the committee’s chairperson‚ said the situation at Optimum mine is reminiscent of the events that occurred leading up to the Aurora mine disaster. Workers at Aurora were not paid for several months before the mine was shut down and its assets stripped by owners. “It cannot be allowed under this government dispensation that workers are made to bear the brunt‚ while the owners walk away unscathed‚” said Luzipo.

Luzipo further said that the committee is not convinced by explanations given to the workers by Optimum mine chief executive officer‚ George van der Merwea about the sale of the mine to new owners. “We call on the Department of Mineral Resources to intervene swiftly and establish with certainty the future of the mine. It should also assist in ensuring that workers are paid‚” said Luzipo.

Caption: Mineral Resources minister Gwede Mantashe had recently visited the Gupta-owned Optimum Coal mine in Middeburg to prevent job losses. The mine is currently put under business rescue following the Gupta-controlled Bank of Baroda's decision to pull out of South Africa following state capture investigations.

27/03/2018

MEJN to host local Mining Indaba

By Lucas Shongwe

Local environmental lobby group the Middelburg Environmental Justice Network (Mejn) is working on plans to host the first ever Local Alternative Mining Indaba (Lami) in Mpumalanga. Although the group could not be on the exact dates to host the indaba, they are currently in talks with relevant stakeholders including the affected and interested parties ensuring that it becomes a success. “If everything goes well we should be hosting it somewhere around June-July” said Bafana Hlatshwayo the organisation’s chairperson. The idea of LAMI became part of the resolutions MEJN proposed for adoption at the Provincial Alternative Mining Indaba (Pami) conference held in November in Newcastle as part of delegation that represented the group at the conference.

Hlatshwayo and colleague Lucas Shongwe threw their weight behind the idea to successfully convince the conference to adopt LAMI saying it was of vital importance to have the local mining indaba to cater for communities that are often misrepresented starting at PAMI to SANAMI (South African National Alternative Mining Indaba), which then leads to the AMI (Alternative Mining Indaba) in Cape Town. “Many active citizens dedicated to make a change in their communities either get sidelined on purpose by other comrades with sinister agendas because they hold different view to them who have now turned to be gatekeepers to resources and information,” Bafana said.

“We believe the solution to the mining debacle in Mpumalanga lies within the very same people who find themselves at the receiving end of the continued environmental injustices. So bringing the mining indaba to the affected people will afford them the opportunity to speak to these challenges they are faced with as people living near mines and most importantly how to overcome those challenges,” he said. Contrary to the African Mining Indaba (also Ami) organised in Cape Town every year in February is the Alternative Mining Indaba where civil society and community members coming together in Cape Town to highlight their plight in a form of declarations to mining companies, governments and investors.

This year’s AMI was held between 05 to 07 February under the theme “Making natural resources work for the people”. The activists deliberated on the role and impacts of mining activities on communities, environment and economy. The pair also pushed for the recognition of the People’s Mining Charter adopted in 26 June 2016 in Barea, Johannesburg. “The People’s Mining Charter which seeks to give a sound direction to the government’s Mining Charter represents the real aspirations of the neglected not consulted and affected communities,” Lucas said.

The People’s Mining charter says “We believe we are the owners of the land and not governments and real reparations and compensation which should be both individual and collective must start with those living around the mines and who work in the mines who were relocated by mining activities as we feel the collective negative impacts of mining more directly than others.” “We believe that the MPRDA must include provisions that direct no less than 50% of Royalties and tax allocations from mining activities for development of directly affected communities to counteract the disproportionate losses suffered by mining communities and labour sending areas.”

Caption: The MEJN believes the Alternative Mining Indaba hosted annually in the Mother City (Cape Town) should start at community level to give the affected a direct and enough platform to articulate their struggles.

27/03/2018

Good Morning Family , hope you been well, to the new members, feel at home, Your Stories Coming up shortly , for now happy Reading!!!!