Watch: South African Police Open Fire on Striking Miners, Killing Some, Wounding Others
The South African police gunned down striking miners, killing some and wounding others, after failing to get protesters to disperse during a strike.
Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters
The Washington Post reports:
Police declined to offer casualty figures after the shooting at the Lonmin PLC mine near Marikana, a dusty town about 70 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Johannesburg. However, police ministry spokesman Zweli Mnisi acknowledged late Thursday some of the miners there had been killed as more police and soldiers surrounded the hostels and shacks near Lonmin’s shuttered platinum mine.
The South African police have not, however, answered the question of why they chose to open fire on protesters with machine guns. The strike at the Lonmin platinum mine in northern South Africa had already turned violent, with skirmishes between two rival unions, the National Union of Mineworkers and the more radical Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), whose supporters have brandished guns, machetes, spears and clubs. At least 10 people have already died due to fighting between these two unions.
Earlier, police had vowed that today was the day they would end the violence and disperse the protesters.
Lonmin Chairman Roger Phillimore said in a statement: “We deeply regret the further loss of life in what is clearly a public order rather than labor-relations-associated matter.” The company shut down production after striking workers walked out, demanding a tripling of their wages.
Many in South Africa also believe the Zuma African National Congress government is partly to blame for the frustrations of black South Africans because it is corrupt and allows whites to run the economy. With revolution festering in many countries around the globe, it seems that Africans are becoming increasingly frustrated with puppet governments who only exist to do the bidding of the West.
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Somebody should be brought-up on charge’s for these killing and convicted. This is the area of The Coward’s, the post 911 era, where cops shoot innocent civilian and Fire Fighter wait at the foot of a burning building while people die from smoke inhalation.
I don’t understand. Is this criminal act getting swept under the carpet as usual.
We need a revolution. Time to stop bidding off the motherland. Time to start owning what’ss ours.
Just wish I knew how.
i bet those white policemen were creaming..in their pants..whenthey fired on those to them…n*****s….
The Workers need better ARMS! They and the Youth along the with poor, need to unite as an Black Army and close down the Nation and run out all the Europeons that see them as nothing but slave anyway! The Men in the ANC are lackeys of Western Nation that need to be sent to the grave for treason of Africa/Black People! Africa should not be trading with the so-called West anyway and the leaders in Africa know this! Pan-Afrikans Unite and Free UP! Mother Afrika!
Some of the shooters were black like me. I guess they felt they had to shoot to stay in favor with their white co-workers. Chuck-D from the rap group Public Enemy said, reminding us of the Malcolm-X assasination, “It was the hand of a nig who pulled the trig”.
Black is a color-the mind set of an individual is more understanding. To reference what a rapper said is very nice for those who have not the ability to use their own knowledge of life circumstances.
The unfortunate conditions of the Brothers and Sisters in South Africa are as if not equal to ours in America-that’s to say the killing of a Black Man or Woman is acceptable;and it doesn’t matter what color the assailant is.
Therefore may we be more conscious of the international genocide of people of COLOR. This weekend we’ll see the number of uunknown African Americans who will be gunned down by his or her brother or sister- what about them?
Boycott Christmas2012
It is over due. We must resume Pan-Africanism… Unite in the fight against Colonial Domination. Our forefathers would be proud of us if we did so.
The names have changed but it is still the same old game of brutal self-hating Apartheid. The lackey leaders of the ANC are regarded as toilet tissue, useable and disposable to those who have used them. The leaders of the ANC in their service as footstools and paty’s to the master have betrayed, mislead and misinformed other Blacks for whom they assumed representative or leadership status, and now they serve as surrogates in maintenance of the status quo.
Upon critical evaluation of this latest massacre of Black Lives, I see 4 elements in full view; however, only 1 is not being critically analyzed. We Black life being explicitly on display in the following ways: Labor, which is the core source of wealth in Capitalism. The law of the land (South Africa 2012) is fully on display in a new (visible) way with Black Police & the Ministry of police being Black. Thirdly, we have the age old report of fraticide on full display. Although mentioned in the article, the owner/representative of the mine, Phillip? He represents the 4th element. He shares not a hint of commanality to the other elements on display. For starters, his name is foreign to all others involved. His position is foreign (The OWNER) is foreign to all other elements in this article. His ability to effect the mechanism ofCONTROL of the LABOR is a direct connection to the (SUB) standards of living and by direct correlation to men massacred at this particular PLANTATION controls the quality of LIVES for everyones connected to the massacred.
In summary, power never accede anything without a demand. That portion of the equation was fully visible; however, they were not properly armed.