ANA reports that seventeen mineworkers facing multiple charges relating to a violent strike at Lonmin mine in Marikana near Rustenburg seven years ago appeared briefly in the North West High Court in Mogwase on Monday.  

The case was postponed to 6 May, due to an application the accused have made at the High Court in Pretoria to review the decision of the National Director of Prosecutions to prosecute them.  The accused are facing a range of charges, including attempted murder, murder, malicious damage to property, robbery, the unlawful possession of a firearm and the unlawful possession of ammunition.  The charges relate to the murders of 10 people, preceding 16 August 2012, which was the day on which 34 mineworkers were killed by the police during a wildcat strike at Lonmin platinum mine operations in Marikana.  The state alleges that the group killed two policemen, two Lonmin security officers, and three non-striking workers, amongst others, during the violent wildcat strike in Marikana.  Nineteen mineworkers were initially arrested, but two have since died.

• Read the report in the above regard in full at The Citizen

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