JOHANNESBURG - Jobs at ArcelorMittal's long steel factories have been saved, but only until the end of August, thanks to the Industrial Development Corporation.
But the long-term future of the company's workers in Richards Bay and Vereeniging, is still in doubt because of the country's poor economic prospects.
READ: ArcelorMittal gets R1.6 billion lifeline for six months
President of the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa,
is hopeful the shutdown will be averted, despite electricity and transport costs and cheap imports.
A big electricity hike and an over-supply of cheap steel is not helping matters.
ArcelorMittal says it has no new plans in place to save jobs beyond the August 31st deadline,
and the closure of its long steel business still stands.
By: Aviwe Mtila