The non-governmental organisation said the “harassment‚ intimidation‚ violence and assassinations of activists is on the increase”.“Our own monitors have also been subjected to violent intimidation‚” it said‚ citing an incident in early March 2016‚ “in Chaneng‚ on the North West Platinum belt in Rustenburg”‚ during which “community monitors were harassed by police with 25 police vehicles”.“…Scores of community members were intimidated and threatened with violence The Bench Marks has taken this up with the North West SAP legal division who say they will investigate.”It also noted the “assassination” of anti-mining activist “Sikhosiphi ‘Bazooka’ Rhadebe‚ of the Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC)‚ on the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape followed by attacks on journalists reporting from the funeral”.“The Bench Marks Foundation will continue to offer its support to communities and train them to monitor private corporations‚ such as mines and government‚ to ensure that these entities are acting in an accountable and socially responsible way and to share their findings through community meetings‚ blogging and other social media tools‚” the foundation said.“We call on the government‚ the Human Rights Commission‚ and the National Minister of Police‚ yet again‚ to investigate the persecution that is occurring throughout South Africa‚ particularly in mining areas of our people."..