News24 reports that a police officer struggled to contain himself at the Marikana trial in the North West High Court on Wednesday when he testified about the death of one of his colleagues on 13 August 2012 at Lonmin's K3 shaft.
State witness Sergeant Benjamin Mahume was being cross-examined for a second day by the lawyer representing former North West deputy police commissioner William Mpembe. The cross-examination was technical and focused on various aspects of what happened that day when police and striking miners clashed, resulting in the deaths of five people. The incident happened three days before the infamous Marikana massacre. It claimed the lives of five people, namely workers Semi Jokansi, Phumzile Sokhanyile and Thembelakhe Mati, and police officers Hendrick Monene and Sello Lepaaku. Mpembe is on trial, alongside retired Colonel Salmon Vermaak, Constable Nkosana Mguye and warrant officers Collin Mogale, Joseph Sekgwetla and Khazamola Makhubela. The former deputy commissioner faces four counts of murder and five of attempted murder. He and Vermaak are also charged with defeating the ends of justice and giving false information under oath before the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the Marikana massacre. It is the State's case that police officers indiscriminately shot at fleeing striking miners on 13 August 2012. But the defence's stance is that officers were under attack. The trial continues until 28 May.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sesona Ngqakamba at News24
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