ANA reports that 17 mineworkers facing multiple charges relating to a violent strike at Lonmin’s platinum operations at Marikana some six years ago were due to appear in the North West High Court in Mogwase on Monday.  

They face 26 counts ranging from murder and attempted murder to malicious damage to property, robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.  The charges relate to the murder of 10 people in the week before 16 August 2012, when 34 people, mostly mineworkers, were shot dead by police at Lonmin’s Marikana operations.  The state alleges that members of the group of 17 killed two Lonmin security officers, two policemen, and three non-striking workers, and damaged vehicles and robbed two Lonmin security officers of their firearms.  Nineteen mineworkers were initially arrested, but two have since died.

• Read this report in full at The Citizen

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