INTER-UNION rivalry at Rustenburg's platinum belt resurfaced yesterday as an underlying factor that led to the deaths of opposing union members at Lonmin's Marikana mine in August.
Evidence by Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa to the Farlam commission of inquiry revealed that Amcu's fiercest rival, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), was on the verge of losing its status as a majority union at Lonmin.
In a statement read out by Mathunjwa on August 14, the Amcu president said Lonmin planned to terminate NUM's status as the largest worker representative organisation at Marikana.
However, in another piece of evidence - an SAFM interview featuring Mathunjwa and NUM president Senzeni Zokwana - the latter said his union did not consider Amcu much of a problem to deal with.
In the same audio clip, Mathunjwa and Zokwana accuse each other's members of murder.
Zokwana alleged Amcu members were responsible for the deaths of two Lonmin security guards while Mathunjwa claimed NUM members shot at Amcu protesters in early August, a few days into the unrest which would result in deaths of 44 people.
Added to their preoccupation with each other, evidence further showed that neither union was in touch with its members' plight.
Asked by Amcu legal counsel Tim Bruinders to tell the commission who had called the six-week strike, Mathunjwa said he did not know.
Mathunjwa further testified that he was only made aware of the impending strike by rock drill operators in "late July" by Lonmin manager Bernard Mokwena.
Mokwena would continue to communicate further developments to Mathunjwa. This included a text message in which Mokwena allegedly asked Mathunjwa to intervene in the violence that saw four people being shot at Wonderkop.
Despite featuring prominently in the behind-the-scenes action in the lead up to the August 16 shootings, Mathunjwa denied that only Amcu members took part in the six-week long illegal strike and that Amcu had called the strike.
The commission continues today.
- molatlhwao@sowetan.co.za
Unions blamed for mine deaths
INTER-UNION rivalry at Rustenburg's platinum belt resurfaced yesterday as an underlying factor that led to the deaths of opposing union members at Lonmin's Marikana mine in August.
Evidence by Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa to the Farlam commission of inquiry revealed that Amcu's fiercest rival, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), was on the verge of losing its status as a majority union at Lonmin.
In a statement read out by Mathunjwa on August 14, the Amcu president said Lonmin planned to terminate NUM's status as the largest worker representative organisation at Marikana.
However, in another piece of evidence - an SAFM interview featuring Mathunjwa and NUM president Senzeni Zokwana - the latter said his union did not consider Amcu much of a problem to deal with.
In the same audio clip, Mathunjwa and Zokwana accuse each other's members of murder.
Zokwana alleged Amcu members were responsible for the deaths of two Lonmin security guards while Mathunjwa claimed NUM members shot at Amcu protesters in early August, a few days into the unrest which would result in deaths of 44 people.
Added to their preoccupation with each other, evidence further showed that neither union was in touch with its members' plight.
Asked by Amcu legal counsel Tim Bruinders to tell the commission who had called the six-week strike, Mathunjwa said he did not know.
Mathunjwa further testified that he was only made aware of the impending strike by rock drill operators in "late July" by Lonmin manager Bernard Mokwena.
Mokwena would continue to communicate further developments to Mathunjwa. This included a text message in which Mokwena allegedly asked Mathunjwa to intervene in the violence that saw four people being shot at Wonderkop.
Despite featuring prominently in the behind-the-scenes action in the lead up to the August 16 shootings, Mathunjwa denied that only Amcu members took part in the six-week long illegal strike and that Amcu had called the strike.
The commission continues today.
- molatlhwao@sowetan.co.za
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