the NUM union and The Amcu president are striking at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold mines. They called to gather at the Union Buildings for ‘feedback’ on the company’s latest offer amid signs that a tentative deal has been reached. Intriguingly, he used the term ‘Numco’ and appeared in a shirt bearing the NUM and Amcu logos.

Early this Joseph Mathunjwa, the charismatic leader and founder of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), would not have been caught dead in a shirt with the logo of the National Union of Mineworkers NUM.

He called on a brief video message on members of both unions that have been on strike for almost three months.

That may seem strange if symbolically, expect traffic jams in Pretoria on Friday — but members of both unions have been camping out there with the aim to draw President Cyril Ramaphosa into the fray.

The attractive new shirt Mathunjwa was putting on was not Amcu’s standard green design. It was black, but emblazoned on it were the logos of both unions. The Amcu logo was pointedly on the left side, which may suggest where his political heart still lies.

It was a truly South African piece of political/union theatre. More immediately, it and other signs suggest a looming end to the strike.