Workers gathered under the sun near the mountain yesterday where their 34 colleagues were murdered and nearly 100 wounded and more than 200 arrested.

All this while a government-initiated peace accord meeting between warring unions NUM (National Union of Mineworkers), Amcu (Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union) and stakeholders was in process.

Irate workers told Sowetan that they would not return to work underground until their demands were met, a resolve that has been toughened by news that their detained colleagues would have murder charges added to public charges.

They are demanding that their arrested colleagues be released.

"The whole world knows that we were shot at and killed (when the police opened fire). There is no evidence that we fired a single shot," said one of the workers, Sakhumzu Zawa.

Workers threatened that they would withdraw their delegation of five men from the peace accord meeting should their demands not be at the top of the agenda.

Lonmin said yesterday in a statement that the company understood that employees were waiting for the environment to be safe before returning to work.

The company has denied that it would fire arrested workers, irrespective of the outcomes of the charges against them. Earlier, Lonmin, had been quoted as having said that the arrested workers would not be re-employed.

"Lonmin believes that those arrested are innocent until proven guilty by the courts. Decisions will then be made regarding dismissals, or disciplinary procedures."

Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini was part of the peace accord meeting. He declined to comment until talks were concluded.

The meeting is attended by Lonmin management, unions, workers representative, religious leaders and officials from the department of labour. - mabuzak@sowetan.co.za

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Thu May 23 00:06:17 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 31, 2012

MAWARAWARA

this is unfair really now, so there is no case against the police. life is a b%&*$
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Aug 31, 2012

dik

When an armed Impi charges an armed standing force there is usually a deathly outcome.

However, charging the captured Impi with murder is ludicrous.
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Aug 31, 2012

RobinH

Ene though I do NOT support their cause, this is really completely ridiculous. These poor people have been mislead and manipulated to such an extent by cunning and unscrupulous people that they really must be utterly confused by now. Sure, there may be "legal precedent" but this charge is pure vindictiveness designed to draw attention away from really poor policing. How can the presiding official even entertain such a disproportionate charge?
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Aug 31, 2012

Sinudeity_

RobinH - And what if the dudes who were arrested and charged with murder, were part of the cunning and unscrupulous people who fired up the protestors?
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Aug 31, 2012

Kaylae

This is really not fair,Zuma come back from Botswana and fix this mess.Murd3r WHAT?so the police will be charged with WHAT? Assassination
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Aug 31, 2012

Mellow

Its not fair really well since they are up for murder are the police officers who shot at them also charged with murder?
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Aug 31, 2012

Vhamsanda

Miners charged with murder ?
Jeff Radebe and Nathi , did you hear this ?
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Aug 31, 2012

Lungu

Yes they should be charged but not for muder our government has run out of ideas, instead of blaming the real culprits (Lonmin ceo's earning R100m per ann, and the police for shotting) they blame poor and hungry citizens who were only fighting for what they believed was right though their mistake was to carry weapons during their strike. I would love to know who came up with this stupid decision of pushing the blame away from the intruders to the innocents, bravo to ANC criminals get away with crime and the innocents pay's for them.
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Aug 31, 2012

RobinH

Sin. Both you and I know that this is not the case. Not going there, thanks, as I don't feel like bickering just for the sake of it.
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Aug 31, 2012

mhlupheki

can we allow the law to take its cause. as far as i know theres a lot that we are going to know when the time goes on that we dont know.
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