Protest at ArcelorMittal plant in South Africa

Around 50 people rallied outside the Saldanha steel mill on Thursday to protest the phased closure of ArcelorMittal's South Africa plant.

The picket participants chanted "We need steel!" And they held posters that read: "We Can't Pay School With Fish" and "Ghost Town on the West Coast."

Sammy Claassen, member of the South African Forum for Economic and Social Development, which organized the picket, said: “This is bad news for the West Coast and South Africa. We need steelmakers who produce quality steel. Thousands of people will lose their jobs because of this, which means that thousands of families will be affected. Another thing about all this closure is that the community has not been consulted about it. Saldanha Steel originated from the Saldanha community, but now that decisions are being made, the community is shutting down. The people upstairs hold meetings behind closed doors. "

He said the community first heard of the closure through media reports and did not even know the reasons for the closure. He said: “If they are operating at a loss or are struggling to support the plant, as the media say, then why are they not asking the government for help? Why isn't the government intervening? If such a large company is closed, it affects small, medium and micro-enterprises and entrepreneurs who provide jobs. ”