The August 2012 Marikana massacre was the culmination of a labour dispute at Karee mine in Rustenburg.
The mine, now operated by Sibanye-Stillwater, was then owned by Lonmin. Evidence at the Marika Commission of Inquiry showed the impasse was “characterised by violence, intimidation, loss of life and the undermining of agreed collective bargaining processes”. Forty-four miners died during the wildcat strike.
About 3,000 employees gathered outside the Wonderkop Stadium in Lonmin on August 9 after rejecting allowances offered by the company. They boycotted work the next day and marched to Lonmin Platinum Division offices to demand a monthly net salary of R12,500. Striking workers were filmed brandishing traditional weapons such as knobkerries and spears.
Four miners, two police officers and two security officers died between August 12 and 14. Lonmin ceased operations there on August 14.
The police deployed about 400 members and erected a barbed-wire fence, enclosing mineworkers on Wonderkop hill. Helicopters hovered above as police efforts to “engage in dialogue to seek a peaceful disarmament and dispersion of the strikers” continued.
On August 15 former National Union of Mineworkers (Numsa) president Senzeni Zokwana and Joseph Mathunjwa, of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), tried “to talk to the workers and urge them to go back to work”, says the commission report. Miners refused to speak to Zokwana.
On August 16 “barbed-wire Nyalas arrived at their positions on the field in front of the koppie between 10.34am and 10.44am”. This provoked “an aggressive response from the strikers”.
That day, police shot dead 34 mineworkers.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.