It would have been wiser to turn on the North West government for its failure to use the millions in mine royalties that have lain idle for some years.

Most of this comes from the Lonmin mine, and the money would have improved the living conditions of the communities around Marikana.

The premier, Thandi Modise, seems to be clueless about how much money has accumulated and if and when the slow-moving wheels of action of that province will start doing anything, and what.

It is an eye-opener to find out that many of the striking miners were not miners, but just troublemakers who moved into the area and could not find work.

The huge wage increases will see to it that even fewer workers will in future be required at the mines, and the rationalisation with effective machines will be speeded up.

It would be better for the people who moved to the area in search of work to return to where they came from because there will be no more new jobs now.

Cosatu and NUM did not show good leadership during the strike and have proved that they cannot control their workers.

A disturbing fact is that no contract seems to be binding on the unions and workers.

Labour contracts are legally binding and if they continue to break these agreements, no one will be interested in signing any in future.

The unions themselves will see to it that they become obsolete.