MARIKANA — They are the anthems hard-wired into the soul of every adult black South African: the haunting ‘struggle songs’ that were the soundtrack to the decades-long fight against apartheid.

Now, a new breed of songs is being born of a wave of labour unrest that has swept across the platinum sector, culminating in the deaths of 44 people last month at Marikana, a mine 100km northwest of Johannesburg run by Lonmin.

But these latest chants are not directed at an old white-minority government.

Their targets are the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Nelson Mandela’s 100-year-old liberation movement, and the management of the mines that account for 7% of Africa’s biggest economy.

President Jacob Zuma, who faces an ANC leadership battle in December, is singled out for derision because of his ties to established unions such as the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), one target of the wildcat Marikana strikers.

“Zuma’s stupidity is holding South Africa to ransom,” runs one of the chants, repeated countless times in faultless harmony on Monday as several thousand striking miners marched 15km between Lonmin’s shafts, ensuring a shutdown was complete.

There was similar disdain for the bosses of London-headquartered Lonmin, who the miners say are refusing to listen to their demands for a raise in basic pay to 12,500 rand a month, more than double their current salary.

“The management will agree to our demands, or they will shit themselves,” goes another song.

As well as keeping up spirits under a blazing sky, the songs give rhythm to the machete-wielding marchers, allowing them to walk for hours seemingly without pause for breath.

However, the upbeat mood and camaraderie created by the singing obscures a rage that seethes beneath the surface, ready to boil over.

At one moment, a marching miner suddenly lashed out with a bullwhip at a man walking next to him. His victim immediately turned and sprinted across the savannah, running — literally — for his life as a group of 50 machete-wielding men chase.

“We don’t know who he is, but we think he had been working,” one of the marchers said, as the songs suddenly ceased and switched to a baying for blood. - Reuters

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Tue Jun 18 09:19:14 SAST 2013 ::

Sep 11, 2012

RVP

“Zuma’s stupidity is holding South Africa to ransom,”.... LMAO....Thats true!
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Sep 11, 2012

warry

If I own that mine I was to shut it up. Those stupid miners are the ones holding south Africans ransom.
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Sep 11, 2012

MommaC

The viciousness of it all is just appalling.
If Lonmin does give in, we are in for a very bloody and horrible uprising
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Sep 11, 2012

sechaba30

lol about Zuma.
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Sep 11, 2012

warry

MommaC if the mines gives in we will have a high inflation rate and see drop in employment in other sectors which in turn will hit back the miners.
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Sep 11, 2012

MommaC

warry

Lomnin cannot give them what they want, even if Lonmin wants to. It is just insane.
The problem is that this seems to be instigated from outside. Apparently, four of the seven 'representatives' aren't even employed on the mine. It all smells of politics
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Sep 11, 2012

Charley4sure

“Zuma’s stupidity is holding South Africa to ransom,”

I like, they forgt to also sing

Showara ware sokodisa....ruri.......ware sokodisa.
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Sep 11, 2012

Danger1985

@ MommaC what should be done about this mine...
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Sep 11, 2012

MommaC

Danger1985

That is the million dollar question.
If I was Lonmin, I'd mechanise, reduce staff by two thirds and go back to the enclave system.
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Sep 11, 2012

malemaforpresident

For as long as ANC Top brass are owning shares at Lonmin people are still going to be killed NUM does not represent the interest of miners it represent the interests of Cyril Ramaphosa,Baleka Mbethe and Khulubuse Zuma only AMCU represent the miners
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