Two murders in the mining sector and the emergence of a ‘procurement mafia’ underscore the need for a special police branch dedicated to mining matters, the Minerals Council South Africa said on Wednesday.
Zikalala calls for calm in KZN following murder of Richards Bay Minerals manager Gunmen opened fire on Nico Swart who was on his way to work on Monday morning. FILE: KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala at a media briefing on 24 May 2020 on the province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: @kzngov/Twitter.
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DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has appealed for calm following the murder of a general manager for operational services at Richards Bay Minerals, owned by mining giant Rio Tinto.
Gunmen opened fire on Nico Swart who was on his way to work on Monday morning.
Murder adds a new twist to violence around Richards Bay Minerals Killing of a senior manager takes place against a background of community conflict since 2016 BL PREMIUM
UPDATED 24 May 2021 - 23:36
A senior manager at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in northern KwaZulu-Natal was shot dead on Monday while driving to work at the mineral sands operation, which has been the source of violent community conflict.
Richards Bay Minerals, one of the big operations in the port city, is owned by Australia’s Rio Tinto, which confirmed that Nico Swart was killed on Monday morning and that the circumstances of the attack on the GM of operational services are unknown. The Zululand Observer reported that more than 20 high-calibre bullets were fired into his car.
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NATIONAL NEWS - KwaZulu-Natal police have launched a manhunt for gunmen who shot and killed the general manager of operational services at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), Nico Swart.
KZN police said Swart, 47, was gunned down by three unknown men at around 6.45am while driving on his way to work.
According to Zululand Observer, more than 20 high-calibre bullets were sprayed into his vehicle on the corner of Dune Road and Kolstertkring in Meerensee. The incident took place on an extremely busy road and it resulted in a peak hour traffic jam.
In a statement, RBM confirmed Swart’s death.