They work just like little ants, those strong miners down at the Nkomati mine in the Slaaihoek valley on Mpumalanga's escarpment. In the far future, the entire vast open pit will become a lake, so I guess I could have said they are beavering away, but what with this blog aimed at miners going down, my editor advised my to steer clear of any mention of beavers...
So please don't even think it. OK? Right. Back to the Nkomati mine: this hole is so profitable the miners extract half a dozen minerals, half of it "at no cost". Every day, between 2000 to 3000 people literally move mountains. A lot of these workers are contractors in double-cab pick-ups who get stuck each time the air precipitates. This being a mine amidst high mountains, and mountains having just one party trick, namely making weather, precipitation tends to dampen the fun rather often.
Which is why the contractors working like bea... ANTS down at Nkomati Mine are all desperate for a medium-sized truck with 4x4 to handle the mud and steep inclines.
In South Africa, only Tata and Mitsubishi Fuso sell a medium truck with 4x4 ability.
I took the Fuso FG6-106 down to the mine and found it very capable in the rough. On site, the little Fuso carries 2,5 tonnes payload – less if you add a crew cab, with a limited slip diff on the rear axle and a low range in 4x4 mode, all operated by switches on the dashboard. Down the steep inclines, the exhaust brake and ABS came in handy. Coming back up the steep pass, the 78kW, 251Nm from the wheezy diesel block and the short gears made for slow going on the steeper sections.
The Fuso FG6-106 costs R308,000 (ex VAT) and I recommend paying for a factory-fitted turbo to push the power up to 100 kW and 370 Nm.
The only competition for the 4x4 Fuso is Tata’s cheaper but larger LPTA 713 4x4, which we have not driven yet. On paper, it costs less at R291,000, (ex VAT) with a less comfy cabin, a thirstier 6.0-litre Cummins engine (89 kW, 400 Nm) and a heavier 3.3 ton payload.
