Marikana hearing continues
2013-01-24 09:31
Johannesburg - The Farlam Commission of Inquiry probing the Marikana
shooting continues at the Rustenburg Civic Centre on Thursday.
The commission is probing the deaths of 44 people during an unprotected
strike at the mine. Thirty-four striking mineworkers were shot dead and 78 were
wounded when police opened fire while trying to disperse a group gathered on a
hill near the mine on 16 August.
In the preceding week, 10 people, including two police officers and two security
guards, were hacked to death.
On Wednesday the commission heard that wage increases reached outside a
bargaining agreement between workers and Impala Platinum had set a precedent
for Marikana mineworkers.
Erick Gcilitshana told the commission that the agreement "raised an
expectation".
He was the first witness to be called by the National Union of Mineworkers
(NUM). He is the union's health and safety national secretary. He was also the
chief negotiator during the mineworkers' strike at Lonmin's platinum mine in
Marikana, where 34 workers were killed in August.
He said that since the start of the protests, NUM had urged workers to
abandon the violent strike.
According to Gcilitshana's statement, NUM also helped the strikers'
delegation with figures in wage proposals.
- SAPA
