Thursday, August 16, 2012

South Africa Deadly Apartheid police is alive and kicking opened live rounds on the striking platinum, miners for payment increase

At least nine killed as a result of violent protests between rival unions at platinum mine northwest of Johannesburg.
Last Modified: 14 Aug 2012 06:01
The act of the  post apartheid police on its miner brings back the old memory of brutality  back again. 


At least nine people, including two police officers, have died as a result of clashes between the members of two rival unions at a platinum mine in South Africa today.


Protests began on Friday at the mine when workers walked off the job over a salary dispute, Lonmin said in a statement on Monday.
Four workers from a rival union attempting to go to work were then attacked by the original strikers.
Angry protesters returned to the mine on Sunday, killing two security guards by setting their car on fire, authorities said.
Another two miners died on Monday in other attacks, police and company officials said.

Lesiba Seshoka, NUM's spokesman, said the fighting had shut down Lonmin's operation near Marikana.

"The situation is tense as we see the images all over the world.


Solidarity, a union that largely represents skilled white workers, said in a statement on Monday that three of its members had been injured in the protests.
The union also threatened to pull its workers from the site if calm was not restored.

The restive labour force is among many challenges facing the mining industry, which has been weakened by decades of under-investment.
A debate over nationalisation and other policy questions have created uncertainty that has scared off potential investors.

South Africa remains a major producer of platinum, coal and gold.

Lonmin, the world's third largest platinum producer, says 96 per cent of all of its production comes from its Marikana operations.

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