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BLOOD ON WHOSE HANDS?
Marikana mine shooting compared to Sharpeville; fingers pointed at Lonmin, South African government and police
I
by HEATHER WALKER
n the wake of last week’s Marikana tragedy that saw 34 striking miners shot and killed by South African police, on Saturday about 50 Londoners staged a protest outside the Belgravia headquarters of Lonmin, the British firm that owns the platinum mine where the strikers work. Carrying placards with slogans such as ‘Lonmin kills striking workers’, ‘Solidarity with the Marikana miners’, ‘Economic apartheid is alive and kicking’ and ‘Lonmin there is blood on your hands’, the protesters gathered outside the Grosvener Place head office of the world’s third biggest platinum producer. The group then marched to the South African High Commission in Trafalgar Square to protest that police had carried out the killings. The demonstration was organised by Bloomsbury Fightback, a group that, according to its Facebook page, “brings together students and trade union members from across the University College London Bloomsbury campus who wish to create a broad oppositional front against austerity in the university and more generally.” The British Socialist Party also threatened a local protest if the SA government and employers don’t back down to the demands of the roughly 3,000 drilling operators at the mine, who want an increase from the minimum wage of R5 500 a month to R12 500. The Socialist Party called for the nationalisation of South Africa’s mines so that
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INSIDE:
Ekhaya puts SA fashion in the spotlight| p8 The Queen Elizabeth Hall in London was transformed into a ramp for an exceptional fashion show that showcased the work of nine talented South African designers as part of a concept known as Ekhaya.
Bristol-based SA mum of quads needs help | p4
A woman holds a placard as she protests against the police shooting of striking miners at the Lonmin platinum mine near Rustenburg on Thursday. Photo by AP Photo/Themba Hadebe.
“the platinum wealth can be used to benefit ordinary South Africans and pay a decent wage instead of being squandered by the profiteering of companies like Lonmin,” according to a statement on the party’s website. Julius Malema, uncharacteristically, did not mention nationalistion when he
addressed the strikers outside the mine near Rustenburg on Saturday, but he called for President Jacob Zuma and police minister Nathi Mthwethwa to resign or back the miners’ demands. “Zuma presided over the massacre of our people,” Malema said. Zuma has declared there will be both a commission of enquiry
and a week of national mourning following what has been called the worst death toll in police action since the end of apartheid. The Marikana tragedy has been compared to the Sharpeville massacre by the Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) and the Institute of Race Relations. ...continued on page 4
In February South African Emma Robbins gave birth to quadruplets. Five months down the line life is tough, but Emma remains optimistic – although she could do with a helping hand…
Mandela birthday brings record coin sales | p11 £4 million worth of collectable Mandela medallions were sold by Scoin Shop in the run-up to Nelson Mandela’s birthday this year.
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