56 miners in court for public violence, damage to property
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Fifty-six miners accused of public violence and malicious damage to property appeared in the Sekhukhune Magistrate's Court on Thursday, Limpopo police said.
Colonel Ronel Otto said charges against 30 of them were withdrawn because of lack of evidence.
The other 26 would be back in court on November 21 for bail applications. They remained in custody.
They were arrested on Tuesday after they allegedly pelted vehicles passing the Bokoni mine with stones during their strike. The tuckshop inside the mine's premises was also set alight.
Otto said they also threw stones at buses bringing people to work at the mine.
Mametlwe Sebei, spokesman for the National Strike Committee, said Elias Juba, the committee's chairman, was among those who remained in custody.
He said the committee would be back at court to support the arrested miners when they appeared again next week.
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