Marikana mineworkers lodge R1 billion lawsuit
“We have submitted claims with regards to the incident in which three people were shot and wounded on August 10, 2012. We have lodged a claim in respect of two people shot on August 11. We want the National Union of Mineworkers [NUM] to pay them,” said advocate Dali Mpofu for the injured and arrested mineworkers.
He said they had lodged a claim against the police minister, the NUM and Lonmin.
“We have made claims for 336 people, these include the workers injured and arrested on August 16, 2012. We also want the Farlam Commission Inquiry finding to be reviewed…”
At least 44 people were killed during a violent wage strike at Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana near Rustenburg in the North West province. About 28,000 Lonmin mineworkers went on a wildcat strike demanding to be paid a minimum basic salary of R12 500 per month.
The workers rejected the NUM and elected to be represented by a workers committee. They spent days on top of a koppie at Nkaneng informal settlement, refusing to come down and demanded that the employer come to the koppie to negotiate with them.
On August 16, 2012, thirty-four mineworkers were gunned down by the police. Ten including two policemen and two Lonmin security guards had been killed a week earlier.
- ANA