Post mortems valuable in mine inquiry

2012-08-21 18:21

A crime scene expert investigates the scene of the shooting where 34 miners were shot and killed at the Marikana mine in the North West. (AP)

Johannesburg -The post mortems of those who died in the Lonmin protest in Marikana will be valuable in the inquiry launched by President Jacob Zuma, the Law Society of SA said on Tuesday.

"The families of all the deceased are entitled to have pathologists and other experts of their choice to assist them during this traumatic period to protect their rights under the Constitution," it said in a statement.

"Such autopsies are carried out in terms of the Inquests Act with the purpose of establishing the cause of death and factors associated with the death."

On Thursday, 34 people were killed in Marikana when police opened fire on them.

The Nazareth Baptist Church in Gauteng said police had been in the wrong.

"It is wrong for the police to have killed 34 people," said Inkosi ya Manazaretha Phakama Shembe.

He said workers were within their democratic rights to demand a wage increase.

"It is expected for the police to protect the workers, and not to kill them."

- SAPA