Eyewitness News: Malema to mediate in Marikana?

Govan Whittles | 18 August 2012

JOHANNESBURG - Former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema will attempt to end an illegal strike by rock drill operators at the Lonmin Mine in the North West.

At least 34 miners were killed and 78 others injured during clashes with police on Thursday.

On Friday, President Jacob Zuma had to cut short his Southern African Development Community (Sadc) trip to visit the area.

Zuma condemned the violence and promised to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the incident.

He also visited some of the injured miners in hospital.

The league's former spokesman Floyd Shivambu says Malema will try to act as a mediator between the workers and the mine's management.

For now the situation remains calm in Marikana.

The hill where approximately 3,000 striking workers have gathered since last week has now been cordoned off with barbed wire by the police.

Officers say no incidents of violence occurred overnight.

Sources from inside the township have told Eyewitness News the strikers are preparing themselves to head to the sites of Thursday shooting, where Malema is expected to address them.

Shivambu says they have come to show support to the strikers who are not prepared to give up their fight for higher wages.

Meanwhile, The South African Law Society says Lonmin management could have done more to resolve simmering tensions with its workers so that the use of violence would not have been necessary.

The society's Krish Govender says, “The responsibility of resolving the conflict between workers and management should have been the responsibility of the management and the unions.”

Meanwhile, Lonmin has promised to fund the education of the children whose parents were killed in the bloodbath.

(Edited by Lindiwe Mlandu)

On Air

Latest Bulletin

Latest Traffic report

Weather

25°C / 2°C

Fri 25°C 2°C

Sat 25°C 4°C

Sun 25°C 4°C

Mon 25°C 5°C

Tue 21°C 3°C

Wed 22°C 2°C

19°C / 12°C

Fri 20°C 9°C

Sat 19°C 12°C

Sun 18°C 12°C

Mon 17°C 12°C

Tue 20°C 11°C

Wed 19°C 11°C

28°C / 15°C

Fri 25°C 15°C

Sat 27°C 15°C

Sun 27°C 16°C

Mon 26°C 16°C

Tue 24°C 14°C

Wed 25°C 14°C

22°C / 14°C

Fri 20°C 9°C

Sat 22°C 10°C

Sun 19°C 11°C

Mon 19°C 11°C

Tue 19°C 8°C

Wed 22°C 9°C

23°C / 6°C

Fri 23°C 6°C

Sat 23°C 6°C

Sun 23°C 5°C

Mon 24°C 8°C

Tue 24°C 7°C

Wed 22°C 8°C

26°C / 11°C

Fri 26°C 8°C

Sat 26°C 11°C

Sun 27°C 14°C

Mon 28°C 15°C

Tue 26°C 15°C

Wed 24°C 14°C

20°C / 12°C

Fri 21°C 8°C

Sat 21°C 11°C

Sun 19°C 9°C

Mon 18°C 8°C

Tue 20°C 6°C

Wed 21°C 7°C

21°C / 16°C

Fri 21°C 13°C

Sat 23°C 14°C

Sun 21°C 14°C

Mon 19°C 12°C

Tue 20°C 11°C

Wed 20°C 11°C

25°C / 8°C

Fri 25°C 8°C

Sat 25°C 8°C

Sun 25°C 7°C

Mon 26°C 9°C

Tue 26°C 9°C

Wed 24°C 8°C

26°C / 7°C

Fri 26°C 7°C

Sat 24°C 9°C

Sun 25°C 9°C

Mon 25°C 10°C

Tue 24°C 10°C

Wed 23°C 9°C

19°C / 12°C

Fri 20°C 9°C

Sat 20°C 9°C

Sun 19°C 11°C

Mon 19°C 11°C

Tue 18°C 9°C

Wed 19°C 9°C

22°C / 6°C

Fri 22°C 5°C

Sat 22°C 5°C

Sun 23°C 4°C

Mon 24°C 7°C

Tue 22°C 6°C

Wed 21°C 4°C

My items

To view 'My Items', click here to register/log in

Recommended for you

No articles have been recommended for you, please check again later

Email a Friend

Malema to mediate in Marikana?

Multimedia