South African police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse striking miners at a gold mine near Johannesburg yesterday, the latest outbreak in labour militancy spreading from platinum mining into other parts of the sector.
The unrest occurred less than three weeks after police shot dead 34 striking miners at Lonmin’s Marikana mine. In yesterday’s incident, mine owner Gold One International Ltd said about 60 workers at its Modder East site went on a wildcat strike, blocking half its employees from reporting for their shifts. “The group, however, refused to disperse. The South African Police Service had to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the group,” it said.
Police spokeswoman Pinky Tsinyane said four people were injured in what she described as a “shoot-out” between protesting former miners, miners and security guards. “Police are investigating a case of attempted murder,” she said, adding that four arrests had been made. – (Reuters)