By way of Nobuhle Simelane & Nomsa MasekoBBC Information, Johannesburg25 October 2023, 12:52 BSTUpdated 14 mins agoImage caption, Staff started rising from the mine on Wednesday morningWorkers at a South African mine have resurfaced after being held underground for 3 days in what police are calling a hostage scenario.Hostage-takers armed with guns like golf equipment and mining gear had held greater than 500 miners on the Gold One mine, the police stated.As staff started to floor on Wednesday, one instructed the BBC escaping “was once the one technique to save my existence”.The miners have been trapped on Sunday amid a dispute between two business unions.The Nationwide Union of Mineworkers (NUM) stated “hooligans” had held its contributors in opposition to their will.However the rival Affiliation of Mineworkers and Development Union (Amcu) denied it had trapped staff on the mine, situated close to Johannesburg. Amcu insisted the miners have been there willingly and have been staging a “sit-in” protest.Greater than 100 workers re-emerged from the mine on Wednesday morning. One employee, who didn’t need to be named for worry of intimidation through rival union contributors, instructed the BBC: “I ran away… it was once the one technique to save my existence. We needed to run away.”The 32-year-old stated some hostage-takers had bodily assaulted the trapped miners.”I saved calm however I feared for my existence… at the first day we had meals and on the second one day we shared what was once left. “We in the end ran out of tea, sugar and occasional and survived on water,” stated the person, who had labored at Gold One for greater than 10 years.Some other miner stated: “I compelled my approach out as a result of I used to be nervous for my well being.”He instructed the BBC he had some empathy for Amcu, which has been combating for criminal reputation on the mine for round 5 months. NUM recently has a “closed store” settlement with Gold One, this means that it’s the handiest union the mine formally recognises.”Despite the fact that I consider the battle for some other union to be allowed to organise on the mine… I will’t say I give a boost to the process they have got taken,” the miner stated. Staff’ households have been collected out of doors the mine on Wednesday, looking ahead to their family members to emerge. One girl instructed the BBC she were camped out since Monday morning, after her husband failed to go back from his shift the night time earlier than.”I’m hurting. I have no idea when my husband will go back. He isn’t smartly… he has tuberculosis. “My husband is the breadwinner. I am even scared of going again house as I will not be able to reply to my youngsters’s questions,” she stated.Police spokesperson Brenda Mudiri stated officials have been interviewing miners as they left the mine.”The ones we interviewed have instructed us they have been held in opposition to their will. They instructed us about 15 hostage-takers. We’re not able to mention which union those hostage-takers belong to,” she stated.Control on the mine echoed the police and NUM’s checks that the miners were held hostage.Amcu has accused Gold One bosses of colluding with NUM, an allegation the mine denies.Symbol supply, Getty ImagesImage caption, A employee on the front of the mine as loads stay underground
