THE disdain and suspicion with which striking mineworkers at Lonmin's Marikana mine held the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was laid bare yesterday at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry.

Two pieces of audio evidence - presented by legal counsel Tim Bruinders for the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) - captured two mineworkers spewing angry words at NUM president Senzeni Zokwana.

The miners did not mince their words as they clearly made known their dislike of Zokwana and, by extension, NUM.

Zokwana's colleague and NUM secretary-general Frans Baleni had to endure the tirade directed at his president.

He was seated in the fourth row of the Rustenburg Civic Centre's auditorium.

A few rows in front of at least 45 NUM members wearing bright red T-shirts.

The first miner said: "The problem is Zokwana. We don't want him here. The way he spoke to us, we don't want him here. He should go away with his police. Zokwana should go away because he is just filling his stomach."

Another miner said he and his striking colleagues were not willing to speak to any NUM representatives because "we have long been dealing with you (NUM)".

The battle for workers at Rustenburg's platinum belt has emerged as an underlying factor in the breakout of violence between NUM and Amcu members.

Yesterday, a different battle was also brewing as at least nine members of the 20 families represented in the commission by advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza wore green Amcu T-shirts.

When proceedings got under way in the morning, people wearing Amcu T-shirts outnumbered those wearing red NUM T-shirts.

By lunch time, red shirts were more visible than green shirts.

The commission resumes today.

- molatlhwao@sowetan.co.za