Mr X makes widow weep

Aisha Fundi broke down and cried yesterday as police witness Mr X told the Farlam commission how he had allegedly helped kill her husband, Lonmin security guard Hassan Fundi, and then watched as fellow strikers had allegedly cut off his chin and cheeks to use for muti.

Mr X, who claims to be one of the leaders of the unprotected strike that left 44 people dead at Lonmin's Marikana mine in North West two years ago, described how he and another miner, "Rasta", had allegedly stabbed Fundi with, respectively, a "bush knife" and a spear while he "was down".

"When you are fighting you are not a spectator, I was not a spectator," said Mr X, who was testifying via video link and anonymously after police lawyers had successfully argued that his life was in danger.

He claimed that a miner referred to as "Bhele" (Tholakele Dlunga) had "cut the chin and tongue" of Fundi and put them "in a plastic [bag]" to be used later for muti. The muti, according to Mr X's previous testimony, was to make the striking miners "strong" and cause police guns "to lock".

He had seen another miner, "Anele" (possibly deceased miner Anele Mdizeni) "scoop the blood" of Fundi into the bag, he said.

Mr X claimed that he had seen "Bhele", "Anele" and "Mambush" (Mgcineni "Mambush" Noki", popularly known as the Man in the Green Blanket) armed with pistols earlier that day when the miners were preparing to march on the National Union of Mineworkers' offices at Marikana. He added that "Bhele" was also carrying "petrol".

According to Mr X, he was part of a group, which included Noki and a miner called "Bhayi", that had gained access to Lonmin's K4 shaft by cutting through a security fence. There, they allegedly set alight seven cars and motorcycles.

"We killed one person in a white T-shirt in the parking lot . He was lying on the ground and I hit him on the right-hand side. I stabbed him," said Mr X of the death of mining supervisor Thapelo Eric Mabebe.

Judge Ian Farlam had earlier ruled that he was "not satisfied that proper grounds existed" for Mr X to be sent for medical evaluation.

Advocate Dali Mpofu, acting for the miners arrested on August 16 2012, had applied for Mr X to be "barred" from testifying until he had undergone medical evaluation to ascertain his mental state.