Rasimone Youth Protest Impala Platinum over recruitment, company rejects claims of excluding locals
Community leaders accuse the mine of overlooking local job seekers, while Impala Platinum says its recruitment policy prioritises qualified local candidates and follows a transparent hiring process
On Thursday, July 9, youth from Rasimone Village in Rustenburg staged a protest outside the Impala Platinum Recruitment Centre, accusing the mining company of overlooking local job seekers in favour of applicants from outside North West Province.
Addressing protesters during the march, Rasimone Youth Secretary Jennifer Motlhamme alleged that Impala Platinum Mine had recruited workers from outside the province while unemployment continued to plague communities surrounding the mine.
“We have a challenge with Impala. Impala went to recruit people from outside of the province whereas we are here. Some of our people have never worked. We have people who are reaching the age of 40 without ever having worked,” she said.
Motlhamme also argued that the mine’s experience requirements prevent many first-time job seekers from accessing employment opportunities.
“Impala has started a tendency of asking general workers for experience, whereas we don’t have experience,” she said.
She further claimed that around 200 people had recently been recruited to work at one of the mine’s shafts and alleged that many were employed from outside North West. During the protest, she called on the company to receive CVs from local residents and to appoint 15 novice applicants as a show of goodwill.
However, Impala Platinum’s June recruitment advertisements show that the company publicly advertised 16 vacancies, including positions such as trackless mine overseer, shift supervisor, miner, plant foreman, conveyor foreman and professional nurse just to name a few.
Like many employers in the mining industry, recruitment is generally based on operational requirements, with advertised positions specifying minimum qualifications, experience and competency requirements. For technical and safety-critical roles, employers are typically required to appoint suitably qualified and experienced candidates to meet legal, operational and safety standards. This presents an ongoing challenge in communities with high unemployment, where many job seekers may have limited work experience.
Speaking to Mining Business Africa in response to the allegations, Johan Theron of Impala Platinum rejected claims that the company excludes local applicants and said local residents are prioritised where they meet the advertised requirements.
“What they are claiming is simply not true. The first thing that must happen is that there must be a vacancy. The second thing is that the vacancy must be advertised. The advertisement clearly states the qualifications and experience required, and it also states that local people will be prioritised,” said Theron.
He added that the company follows a clear employment policy designed to prioritise local communities while maintaining fair recruitment processes.
“We have a very clear employment policy that prioritises local people. We diligently follow that, and our door is always open if people want information or if they are unhappy. We will engage with them, take them through the recruitment process, and show them how many people have been employed, in which positions, and where they come from so they can see the facts for themselves.”
The protest comes against the backdrop of persistently high unemployment in South Africa, where mining companies often face pressure from surrounding communities to create more local employment opportunities. At the same time, companies are expected to appoint candidates who meet the qualifications, skills and experience required for specialised mining roles.
