NKANENG informal settlement at Marikana in North West was tense but quiet yesterday after police raided the area - one month after 34 striking miners were shot dead by police
The police were reportedly assisted by about 1000 members of the South African National Defence Force.
They raided the area on Saturday to disarm striking workers who have been carrying weapons and in some instances handguns. About 12 people were reportedly arrested in the raids.
National police spokesman Director Phuti Setati said: "We have launched focused operations at hot spots around the country. I cannot deny that Marikana is one of them. We cannot divulge too much as the operations are ongoing, but the police are determined to deal with criminal activities decisively."
When Sowetan visited Nkaneng yesterday, most of the gravel roads were barricaded with large rocks.
Journalists were told that strike leaders had been in hiding since Friday .
Molefe Phele, a strike committee member, said: "We have a list of four people who were injured last night. Scores of children were hit with teargas. We are angry at the government's violent stance against peaceful striking miners."
One of the strikers, who did not wish to be named, said: "The police came here ... shot and assaulted people who were in their yards.
"They said they wanted to disarm us. We handed in our weapons voluntarily, but they still raided us during the night."
The man said there was an instruction that media wanting to speak to people should go through the strikers' committee first.
But when Sowetan approached a corrugated iron structure said to be the community office, we were told that the media was not welcomed and that nobody would be interviewed as reports were distorted and miners' grievances were not properly highlighted.
"It seems the media is choosing to side with mine management. It has been decided that you should leave," reporters were told.
Also yesterday morning, hundreds of striking workers at Anglo American Platinum mine near Rustenburg, about 30km from Marikana, attempted to march to the police station.
They were, however, dispersed by police before they could enter the town.
The marchers had planned to protest against the use of force against striking mineworkers. - additional reporting by Sapa-AFP
Calm after mine raids
NKANENG informal settlement at Marikana in North West was tense but quiet yesterday after police raided the area - one month after 34 striking miners were shot dead by police
The police were reportedly assisted by about 1000 members of the South African National Defence Force.
They raided the area on Saturday to disarm striking workers who have been carrying weapons and in some instances handguns. About 12 people were reportedly arrested in the raids.
National police spokesman Director Phuti Setati said: "We have launched focused operations at hot spots around the country. I cannot deny that Marikana is one of them. We cannot divulge too much as the operations are ongoing, but the police are determined to deal with criminal activities decisively."
When Sowetan visited Nkaneng yesterday, most of the gravel roads were barricaded with large rocks.
Journalists were told that strike leaders had been in hiding since Friday .
Molefe Phele, a strike committee member, said: "We have a list of four people who were injured last night. Scores of children were hit with teargas. We are angry at the government's violent stance against peaceful striking miners."
One of the strikers, who did not wish to be named, said: "The police came here ... shot and assaulted people who were in their yards.
"They said they wanted to disarm us. We handed in our weapons voluntarily, but they still raided us during the night."
The man said there was an instruction that media wanting to speak to people should go through the strikers' committee first.
But when Sowetan approached a corrugated iron structure said to be the community office, we were told that the media was not welcomed and that nobody would be interviewed as reports were distorted and miners' grievances were not properly highlighted.
"It seems the media is choosing to side with mine management. It has been decided that you should leave," reporters were told.
Also yesterday morning, hundreds of striking workers at Anglo American Platinum mine near Rustenburg, about 30km from Marikana, attempted to march to the police station.
They were, however, dispersed by police before they could enter the town.
The marchers had planned to protest against the use of force against striking mineworkers. - additional reporting by Sapa-AFP
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