SOUTH AFRICA’S National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) called for the pension trustees at Impala Platinum to resign yesterday after seven were caught soliciting bribes.

Newspapers reported yesterday that the seven trustees of the Impala Workers Provident Fund were arrested this week for allegedly seeking two million rand (£92,000) in kickbacks from the insurance company that runs the mining giant’s retirement fund.

The suspects were arrested in Potchefstroom in a sting operation by the Hawks special investigative police unit, but were released on bail of just 5,000 rand (£230) each.

Impala Platinum spokesman Johan Theron said they had asked for “protection money” from an existing or prospective service provider.

All seven are members of the Association of Mining and Construction Union (Amcu) which usurped the NUM’s position as the recognised majority union at the mine in 2014 through a campaign of violence and intimidation.

NUM spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu warned that the arrests were “just the tip of the iceberg.”