Sitting in the widening circle of desperation

Friday, April 20, 2018

Increasingly frustrated, poverty -stricken ex-miners make up most of jobseekers at the Labour office PIC: ONALENNA KELEBILE

Each morning, hundreds of ex-BCL Mine workers trudge to the Selebi-Phikwe Labour office where they join their fellow former co-workers and other jobless citizens, sitting in the ever-widening circles of desperation, mulling over their shared misery. Mmegi Correspondent, ONALENNA KELEBEILE pays the circle a visit

SELEBI-PHIKWE: Before the closure of the mine in October 2016, they were the envy of town, their blue uniforms proudly emblazoned BCL Mine and marking them out as the cream of the crop in the copper and nickel mining town.

On their paydays, the plus 4,000 BCL Mine workers were a hit wherever in town they would be seen as their collective spending power of about P60 million regenerated businesses, excitement and activity every month.

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Sitting in the widening circle of desperation