Lonmin carries blame for not protecting Marikana workers: Zuma

25 June 2015 - 21:20 By Penwell Dlamini
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President Jacob Zuma. File photo.
President Jacob Zuma. File photo.
Image: ALON SKUY

Platinum producer Lonmin has been found to have endangered the lives of its employees during an illegal strike in Marikana in 2012.

In a statement from the Farlam Commission read by President Jacob Zuma‚ retired judge Ian Farlam found that the company did not do enough during the illegal strike.

"The commission has found that Lonmin did not use its best endeavours to resolve the dispute that arose between itself and its workers who participated in the unprotected strike."

It also did not respond appropriately to the threat of and outbreak of violance. Lonmin also failed to employ sufficient safeguards and measures to ensure the safety of its employees.

"Lonmin also insisted that its workers who were not striking should come to work despite the fact that it knew that it was not in a position to protect them‚" Zuma said.

During a six-week long strike in August 2012 at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine near Rustenburg ‚ 44 people lost their lives.

The violence arose from a wage dispute involving rock drill operators at the mine‚ fuelled by rivalry among unions in the sector‚ the National Union of Mineworkers and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union.

Armed police shot and killed 34 miners on August 16 on a koppie near Wonderkop informal settlement. Seventy-eight were injured.

In the days before the shooting‚ 10 other people were killed in violence around the platinum mine – including non-striking miners‚ security guards and two police officers who were hacked to death.

RDM News Wire.

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