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DANGER ALL ROUND: Miners drill underground at Lonmin Saffy Platinum Mine in Marikana in this file picture. photo: KATHERINE MUICK-MERE

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NINE people have been killed at Lonmin's Marikana mine in the North West.

Two police officers, two security guards, three protesters and two other men had been killed by 8.30pm, said Captain Dennis Adriao.

The deaths are linked to violence apparently triggered by union rivalry.

Adriao said the two police officers were killed in the afternoon and three protesters were shot dead.

One other police officer was critically injured.

Earlier, officials from the platinum mine announced that the body of a man was found on the premises. He had been shot dead.

Adriao said the man's death was believed to be linked to the violence.

Another man died in hospital on Sunday after being hacked with a panga as he left the mine after the evening shift. On Saturday, two security guards were killed when the car they were travelling in was set alight.

Scores of other people have been injured in the violent unrest in the last four days. Police also reported that eight vehicles were torched on the mine property on Sunday.

Violence at the mine has been linked to clashes between members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), which are reportedly fighting for control of local mines.

Lonmin has called for an end to the violence, which begun on Friday following an illegal work stoppage and protest march by about 3000 rock drill operators.

"Whilst our first thoughts must be with the families of those killed and injured in these criminal clashes, our operational priority is to see the violence stop," says Lonmin CEO Ian Farmer.

NUM has condemned the violence and has called for immediate action from the police. "[We are] alarmed at that the escalating violence has been allowed to continue unabated by the law enforcement agencies in that area in North West," said NUM general secretary Frans Baleni.

However, AMCU said it was NUM that was perpetrating the violence.

"Four of our members on Saturday were shot at on Saturday, and two of them have since died." said AMCU vice president Jeff Mthahmeme. No arrests have been made.

Comments

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Sat May 18 19:57:42 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 14, 2012

pedi4life

stupit unions blaming each other, stop the damn violence maan and start working together to win this protest.put your fellow workers first .idiot
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Aug 14, 2012

RobinH

We South Africans have lost all sense of reason. Since when do civilised people deal with disputes in this manner? And this supposedly headed up by "rival unions". The violence of these supposed unions is shocking, and the two parties in dispute simply pretend it isn't happening, as they have learned from our political leadership. Deny involvement and all is well. SIS!
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Aug 14, 2012

golly459

Speachlesss??? Unions supposed to unite and protect Workers not to turn them against each other.
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Aug 14, 2012

Papage

Where is Vavi? How can we have different unions in the mines? people must be taught to unionise, be one, not more than one union for the same company. I know we do different jobs within the same company, but it is only proper to have one representation union.
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Aug 14, 2012

RobinH

Papage. I agree. This obsessive factionalism of our people will be our nation's downfall.
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Aug 14, 2012

nsukuangel

I Blame the ANC government for allowing these Cosatu affiliated unions to be monopolies in SA in the first place, now they fear competition and they resorting to violence...
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Aug 14, 2012

Afrojoy

It's about the money
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Aug 14, 2012

RobinH

Afrojoy: What money? No discussion has been enterred into with the mine.
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Aug 14, 2012

snazz

Money is the cause of all this>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


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Aug 14, 2012

Mrazane

Afrojoy and snazz you are spot on - it is about the union subscription fees. An individual pays R80 a month with 10 000 members you have R800 000 and remember that in the Marikana/Rustenburg/Thabazimbi area you have over 50 000 mine workers - they have done the maths and the killing has begun...very unfortunate
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