New work stoppage hits S. Africa's troubled Marikana mine

AFP , Thursday 18 Oct 2012

Prompted by recent violence and arrests, workers at Lonmin's Marikana mine in South Africa renew work stayaway amid charges of police harassment

South African Miners
Striking South African miners hold up their hands as they are addressed by former African National Congress Youth League President Julius Malema outside a mine in Rustenburg (Photo: Reuters)

Management at platinum giant Lonmin's Marikana mine in South Africa, the scene of deadly violence in August, said some workers had renewed a work stayaway on Thursday amid allegations of police harassment.

"We are experiencing disruption," said Sue Vey, a spokesperson for the London-listed firm, which was rocked by the police killing of 34 workers on August 16.

"It is too early to call it a strike. Some people have not been underground this morning as they were expected to be," Vey said.

The stoppage appears to have been prompted by workers' anger at a series of police arrests in recent days.

"The guys are concerned," said Zolisa Bodlani, a worker representative. "There were some guys that were arrested during the weekend."

Workers are expected to gather later in the day and deliver a memorandum to managers to "show their concern about those guys that were arrested," Bodlani added.

Employees at the mine have been back at work for almost a month, after the worst violence seen in post-apartheid South Africa prompted management to agree a substantial pay rise.

In all 46 people were killed, both workers and police, over weeks of violence that are now being investigated by a government-appointed commission of inquiry.

The panel, led by a retired judge, is expected to resume deliberations on Monday.

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