Since 1958, smoke has billowed over the valleys near Cato Ridge from the Assmang manganese smelter, a sprawling industrial complex that roared day and night.
Locals called it eMakhalafukwe — the place of smoke. For generations, it was more than a workplace. It was a promise. A provider. A presence.
Now, the fire is dying. The gates are closing. And 600 workers — some with decades of service — are being cast out with severance cheques and little else.
The smelter drew its workforce of 310 permanent and 290 contract workers from a tight constellation of villages: KwaXimba, Georgedale, Fredville, Mpumalanga Township, Number Nine, and others scattered across the outer west of eThekwini. For many, the job was a rite of passage. A badge of dignity.
Assmang confirmed the permanent shutdown of the Cato Ridge Works (CRW) facility, effective from August 31, following a structured consultation process under section 189 of the Labour Relations Act.
The company said it would offer support services, including wellness programmes, financial counselling, CV writing, reskilling workshops and entrepreneurial training.
But workers say the process, led by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), felt like a formality — more about ticking boxes than offering real support.
When the Sunday Times visited the communities surrounding the Assmang smelter, most workers declined to speak on record.
While some shared their concerns, many expressed fear that public criticism could jeopardise their future employment opportunities. With talk of the eMakhalafukwe site potentially resuming operations under new ownership, workers worried they might be blacklisted or deemed disloyal for voicing dissatisfaction.
A 43-year-old worker said he had worked at the plant for more than two decades.
“I started here as a young man. Now I’m middle-aged. Exposure to manganese has affected my health. I can barely see anything without glasses.”
He supports a household and says the closure means rethinking everything, from his children’s schooling to his family’s long-term survival.
“They offered R50,000 and then dropped it to R20,000. What can you do with that? Not every small business survives. But children still need to eat.”
A female worker said she supports six family members.
“I don’t know what our future holds. The mood at the plant is heavy ... everyone’s panicking. It’s very bad.”
Assmang was jointly owned by African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), founded by billionaire Patrice Motsepe, and Assore, a South African mining firm.
Ahead of the shutdown, Assore acquired major assets from Assmang including land, buildings and housing stock in a deal worth R453m.
Assore will remediate the site and, together with surrounding vacant land, it will be redeveloped into a commercial and logistics hub.
“They made billions from our sweat,” said a furnace technician. “Now they walk away and we’re left breathing the dust they leave behind.”
Health complications linked to manganese exposure are part of the plant’s legacy.
Manganism, a neurological condition similar to Parkinson’s disease, can afflict workers who have been exposed to airborne manganese for a prolonged period.
Mboneni Mthembu, 57, started work at the smelter in the late 1990s and was dismissed in 2007.
“I gave them my youth. First, it was unbearable headaches and eye itches. Then other illnesses. I kept seeking medical help. Eventually, I was let go.”
He says attempts to hold the company accountable had gone nowhere.
“They have strong lawyers. We got nothing. Many of my colleagues are dead or very sick. The company always said procedures were followed,” he said, adding that none of the sick former workers would ever get any compensation.
Mzamo Khoza, KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), the majority union at Assmang, said it was negotiating to retain some staff under the new operation.
“We’re in delicate talks. Our priority is protecting jobs,” he said.
Assmang declined to comment, referring the Sunday Times to two past press releases, in which the company cited financial strain and regulatory constraints for the closure.
The smelter, built in 1957, has seen its share of tragedy. In 2006, 10 workers became permanently disabled after alleged exposure to high levels of toxic manganese dust.
Two years later, in February 2008, an explosion killed five workers and injured four. Just weeks earlier, a worker died when he was exposed to molten manganese that burst from a damaged furnace.
National Prosecuting Authority provincial head Elaine Zungu told families in 2020 “there were no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution”.
“The plant made steel and money,” said one worker who was at the company for 16 years. “But it also made widows.”
KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli described the closure as “a severe blow”. He urged companies to work more closely with the government before announcing shutdowns.
For now, Assmang says the site is destined for repurposing.
For many in the valley, silence settled long before the smoke cleared.
“Nobody asked us,” said Sizwe Magwaza, a 73-year-old local elder. “Not when the furnaces first roared. Not when the smoke hung over our homes. Not when our children started getting sick. And certainly not now, as they close the gates and walk away.”
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