Strike committee leaders at the Rustenburg Anglo Platinum mine have called for their colleagues to ignore the company's decision to dismiss 12,000 workers and to intensify their call for higher wages.
The striking workers have also called on the independent police investigation division (IPID) to investigate the death of miner Mtshuquleni Qakama, 48, on Thursday night when police fired at striking miners who had congregated at a hill outside the Nkaneng informal settlement.
Spokesman of the Democratic Socialist Movement, Mametlwa Sebei - whose organisation has been playing a key role in organising the illegal strikes in the North West platinum belt - said they want IPID to investigate the matter because they believe the police acted illegally and could cover up the case.
Sebei accused the police of general heavy-handedness towards the striking miners. He also claimed that another miner was hit by one of the police Nyalas during their protests last week - an allegation that the police have denied.
Nkaneng residents have also complained about the police's heavy-handedness.
Several mothers complained to Sowetan about how the teargas that police fired on Thursday evening to disperse the miners had affected their children. By Friday morning teargas fumes still hung in the air.
When Sowetan visited Qakama's house on Friday, his relatives were there consoling his live-in lover Nomandla Ndikho, 30.
"He left the house earlier saying he was going to a meeting with his fellow strikers at the hill," a distraught Ndikho said.
"I later heard gunshots and the droning of a helicopter and the smell of teargas. I then realised there was something going on at the hill but was afraid to go outside and check."
Ndikho was also upset about the fact that the police did not remove Qakama's body from the hill until the next day - more than 12 hours after his death.
"Why did they keep him in the sun for that long? I understand they are investigating but it is hot and his body is lying in the sun," she said.
lCosatu and the Chamber of Mines held a meeting late last week and came up with a framework to deal with the spreading unrest in the mining sector led by workers who are demanding salary increases outside of formal negotiations.
They said: "Our action seeks to protect the legitimacy of collective bargaining and industrial relations in our country. In terms of the existing wage agreement, we have a commitment to review wages."
Strike leaders tell miners to ignore dismissals
Strike committee leaders at the Rustenburg Anglo Platinum mine have called for their colleagues to ignore the company's decision to dismiss 12,000 workers and to intensify their call for higher wages.
The striking workers have also called on the independent police investigation division (IPID) to investigate the death of miner Mtshuquleni Qakama, 48, on Thursday night when police fired at striking miners who had congregated at a hill outside the Nkaneng informal settlement.
Spokesman of the Democratic Socialist Movement, Mametlwa Sebei - whose organisation has been playing a key role in organising the illegal strikes in the North West platinum belt - said they want IPID to investigate the matter because they believe the police acted illegally and could cover up the case.
Sebei accused the police of general heavy-handedness towards the striking miners. He also claimed that another miner was hit by one of the police Nyalas during their protests last week - an allegation that the police have denied.
Nkaneng residents have also complained about the police's heavy-handedness.
Several mothers complained to Sowetan about how the teargas that police fired on Thursday evening to disperse the miners had affected their children. By Friday morning teargas fumes still hung in the air.
When Sowetan visited Qakama's house on Friday, his relatives were there consoling his live-in lover Nomandla Ndikho, 30.
"He left the house earlier saying he was going to a meeting with his fellow strikers at the hill," a distraught Ndikho said.
"I later heard gunshots and the droning of a helicopter and the smell of teargas. I then realised there was something going on at the hill but was afraid to go outside and check."
Ndikho was also upset about the fact that the police did not remove Qakama's body from the hill until the next day - more than 12 hours after his death.
"Why did they keep him in the sun for that long? I understand they are investigating but it is hot and his body is lying in the sun," she said.
lCosatu and the Chamber of Mines held a meeting late last week and came up with a framework to deal with the spreading unrest in the mining sector led by workers who are demanding salary increases outside of formal negotiations.
They said: "Our action seeks to protect the legitimacy of collective bargaining and industrial relations in our country. In terms of the existing wage agreement, we have a commitment to review wages."
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