THE CLOSURE OF ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA’S LONG STEEL BUSINESS AND MASS JOB LOSSES

MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

THE CLOSURE OF ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA’S LONG STEEL BUSINESS AND MASS JOB LOSSES

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the decision by ArcelorMittal South Africa to shut down its long steel business, placing more than 3,500 workers at risk of immediate retrenchment, with unions warning that the number could exceed 4,000. 

This catastrophic development is not an isolated incident but part of a devastating pattern: in recent months, Glencore has entered consultations to shed thousands of jobs in the ferrochrome sector, Ford is considering retrenchments in its local operations, and Assmang is contemplating closing its Beeshoek mine after losing ArcelorMittal as a customer. 

What we are witnessing is the destruction of the little industry South Africa has left, a collapse that will hollow out communities and deepen mass unemployment. These mass retrenchments also expose the opportunism of Cyril Ramaphosa’s government. Just before the national elections last year, the Presidency deliberately delayed announcements of job cuts under the guise of “finding solutions” for companies like ArcelorMittal. Workers were fed false hope so that the ruling party could mask its economic failures and secure votes. 

Now, after the elections have passed, government conveniently allows these industries to collapse and workers are to be thrown onto the streets. This is a betrayal of the working class. 

The closure of ArcelorMittal’s long steel division also reflects the broader crisis of South Africa’s industrial base. Rising electricity costs, collapsing rail and port infrastructure, cheap imports from China, and the state’s refusal to implement meaningful protections for local producers have driven the sector into the ground. 

The result is the loss of strategic steel-making capacity, further dependence on foreign imports, and the obliteration of jobs at a time when unemployment is already at historic highs. The EFF makes it clear: the government cannot continue to wash its hands while South Africa’s industrial backbone is dismantled. We call for immediate intervention to preserve jobs, protect the steel sector, and ensure workers are not left to suffer without compensation and support. 

We reiterate that the state must pursue a programme of industrial recovery through nationalisation, investment in infrastructure, and decisive support for domestic production. Anything less will condemn South Africa to permanent deindustrialisation and economic dependence. 

MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA