The Marikana Series

Date: 9 – 16 August 2012

Place: Marikana, North West, RSA 

Death toll: 40 miners, 2 police officers and 2 security guards

On 16 August 2012, the South African 

Police Service (SAPS) opened fire on a crowd of striking mineworkers at Marikana, in the North West Province.  The police killed 34 mineworkers, and left 78 seriously injured. Following the open fire assault – 250 of the miners were arrested.

This event culminated after an intense week-long protest in which the miners were demanding a wage increase at the Lonmin Platinum Mine in an unofficial industrial action (strike action undertaken by unionised workers without the union-leadership’s authorisation, support, or approval). 

On 9 August approximately three thousand miners went on strike to demand a wage increase. On 10 August, a large group of the striking miners approached the National Union for Miners (NUM) local office in order to demand support from their union. Two miners were fatally wounded.

Between 12- 14 August at least four miners, two police officers and two security guards died in the ensuing violence. On 13 August, 30 miners were delegated to cross the veld (field) that separated them from another Lonmin Platinum Mine, Karee, where miners were also undergoing a strike. The 30 miners were forced by security to turn back. On their way back they were met with a contingent of police. The police barred their way and told them to lay down their weapons (machetes), to which the workers refused. The police allegedly began to open fire on them, and the miners retaliated. Two policemen and two miners were killed in this battle, and one miner was severely injured.

The strike continued despite gaining no support from NUM. On 14 August Lonmin officially halted production at the Marikana Platinum Mine. The miners set up camp on a hill called Wonderkop near the Lonmin mine. Police and miners occasionally entered into discussions however the miners remained steadfast in their strike action, and on   16 August, South African police opened fire. They shot down 112 men, killing 34.

Bibliography

Davies, N. (2015). Marikana massacre: the untold story of the strike leader who died for workers’ rights. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/19/marikana-massacre-untold-story-strike-leader-died-workers-rights [Accessed 11 Jul. 2017].

South African History Online. (2013). Marikana Massacre 16 August 2012. [online] Available at: http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/marikana-massacre-16-august-2012 [Accessed 11 Jul. 2017].