Little has been done to discourage antisocial behaviour. Having said this, much of the blame must also be given to the mining house.

Unfortunately, big capital companies and the mining houses saw fit to go along for years with the government BEE schemes.

These schemes were nothing more than bowing to the whims of the political ruling elite.

They had nothing to do with real black empowerment.

Instead of giving wealth to a selected few, a programme could have been put in place for ordinary workers to become stakeholders.

If the employees were given shares, the unions would have lost their hold over workers and the mines and companies would have created a happy, motivated workforce.

The mentioned R4000 a month is no living wage.

It is less than what I pay my casual worker at my house in 14 days.

It is unacceptable that we waste time with discussions about nationalisation when it would be wiser to think about ideas to implement better conditions for workers.

Workers must be given shares after a certain period. - Erwin Schwentzek, Randburg

IT IS embarrassing and heart-breaking to note that we would send our security forces to harm and kill honest, hard-working (and justifiably disgruntled) workers.

Yet we have not bothered to send one security guard or use the same force against the gangsters and the drug dealers in and around the Cape Flats. - Richard Amlima, Johannesburg

IT IS a shame that people have to die for failed negotiations and greed.

Ban any strike action in the country because everybody is looking for a way to vent their anger about the failure to provide a living wage.

Political parties are exploiting the situation and it is shameful that not one of them wanted to address this issue and tell the workers to go back to work.