Police die in mine war

Two policemen sent to stabilise a violent protest at South Africa's third-biggest platinum mine were bludgeoned to death yesterday.

The killings were in the midst of what seems to be a turf war between two unions: the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union and the National Union of Mineworkers. They are reportedly in a bitter tussle to gain control of bargaining power at Lonmin's Marikana mine, in North West.

There was still a heavy police presence at all the mine's 12 shafts yesterday afternoon.

Some of the mine's employees were seen wearing bulletproof vests.

North West police commissioner Lieutenant-General Zukiswa Mbombo flew over the mine in a helicopter to get a sense of how violent the protests were.

Police spokesman Brigadier Lindela Mashego confirmed the killing of the two policemen.

"Another officer was critically injured and has been taken to the hospital. We're still trying to establish the facts behind the killings," he said.

Though Mashego could not say how the policemen met their death , The Times has established that they were hacked with pangas .

The killing of the policemen, who have not been named, has brought the death toll since the violence broke out at the mine on Friday to five.

Yesterday morning a mine employee was found dead in a parking area. He had been hacked with sharp objects.

Later, another worker was found dead on the eastern side of the mine. He was wearing a pair of gumboots and a work suit. He had five bullet wounds.

On Sunday, two Lonmin security guards were reportedly burned to death in their patrol vehicle by a group attempting to attack Lonmin facilities. Barnard Mokoena, Lonmin's executive vice-president for human capital and external affairs, said the mine did not know what triggered the violence.

"Until I'm given a grievance [or] memorandum, I don't want to speculate. My only comment right now is that this is purely criminal . we have never worked in this way with the unions, and if this is a [work-] related issue, I would have expected any of them to hand us a memorandum," he said.

Mokoena, however, said he suspected the violence was part of a fight between the two unions forcontrol of bargaining power at the mine.

He said the mine had discussed the violence with both unions but both had denied responsibility. Jeff Mphahlele, general secretary of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, refused to comment .

National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka blamed the violence on a rival union and has called for army to intervene.