About 150 ex-mineworkers faced the chilly weather as they confronted Assmang Black Rock at Hotazel to demand their exit and other severance packages they alleged the mine still owed them.

The group, aka Old and New Northern Cape Mining Affected Communities (ONCCMAC) workers gathered at the t-junction at Severn Miles early in the morning on August 07, 2018 before hired transport came to collect them heading to the targeted mine.

On arrival at the mine the picketers were met by the senior general manager of the mine Mr Pierre Burger. Handing over the memorandum the ex-mine workers drawn from the John Taolo Gaetsewe region, Francis Baard district and Doctor Ruth Mompathi district in the North West province said that they were grossly mistreated by the mine.

 Most of these ex-mine workers left the mine unceremoniously over thirty years ago and age has taken the better side of their toiling. They said that they left the mine under hostile circumstances where the police dogs had to be summoned to ensure their expulsion was just fluid. Top in their demands was the medical exit packages, compensation of their clothing and other belongings they left because their dismissal was so rapid that they could not collect their items on the fateful day.

They said that during the period the department of labour and police were strictly under apartheid grip hence the cruel dismissal of the black employees. The memorandum submitted had a two-week ultimatum in which the mine board has to respond or else yet another picketing would be staged. The convenor of the picketing was Mr Patrick Masilo.