Labour unrest is hardly new to South Africa’s mining sector, which has experienced bouts of turbulence throughout much of its 150-year history. The first half of this year was little different – a strike at the world’s biggest platinum mine in January and February caused its owner, Impala Platinum, to halt production for six weeks. But tensions exploded in a way few thought was possible on August 16, when police shot dead 34 strikers at Lonmin’s Marikana mining complex, close to the capital Pretoria.
While the police claim they were defending themselves against miners armed with machetes – and an inquiry launched by president Jacob Zuma is ongoing – South Africans have reacted in horror. The incident, which has since dominated local media, was reminiscent of the Sharpeville massacre of 69 anti-apartheid protestors in 1960, said the South African Institute of Race Relations.
