Unions outraged over Ekapa liquidation after deadly mud rush
Trade union UASA says it is “deeply saddened” by the liquidation plans, describing the move as coming at an exceptionally painful moment for employees and their families.
Five workers who went missing during the February 17 mud rush are now presumed dead and recovery operations remain under way. For UASA, the timing of the liquidation application intensifies the emotional trauma faced by workers who are mourning colleagues while simultaneously confronting the immediate threat of job losses.
While acknowledging the severe operational and financial pressures cited by the company, UASA warned that potential job losses from liquidation could deepen economic hardship in Kimberley and surrounding communities, where mining remains central to livelihoods.
The union’s position reflects concern not only for those directly affected underground, but also for the broader mining community that depends on the stability of operations in the Northern Cape.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union have expressed even stronger criticism, saying it is shocked and angry at the decision. For AMCU, the sequence of events raises profound moral and accountability questions. Workers were trapped underground. A week later they were presumed dead. On the same day, the company announced its intention to apply for liquidation.
AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa drew parallels with the tragedy at Lily Mine, where three workers were trapped underground and their families are still waiting for closure.
“For us, this is not just an announcement. It is a sequence that demands scrutiny. Workers are trapped. A week later they are presumed dead. On the same day, the company declares liquidation.
“We have seen this before. At Lily mine, three workers were trapped underground, and, to this day, their families are still waiting. We were told the costs were too high and the recovery too complex. We cannot allow a repeat of that injustice,” Mathunjwa said.
AMCU has stressed that liquidation must not weaken or delay the obligation to recover the bodies of the deceased workers once it is safe to do so, stating that financial distress does not extinguish moral or legal responsibility.
“A worker is not a liability to be written off. You cannot declare insolvency and expect families to accept that their loved ones will remain underground because recovery is expensive. Human dignity is not determined by market conditions,” Mathunjwa asserted.
