Marikana cops shot injured miners dead, witnesses say

Some miners at Marikana were shot after being taken into custody by police, new evidence suggests. The evidence was given at South Africa’s Farlam Commission into the massacre.

Police shot dead 34 striking miners and injured another 78 during the massacre on 16 August last year. Lesego Mmusi, representing the miners’ families, said last week that some of the victims were “searched and then shot again”.

Mmusi made the accusation while cross-examining expert witness Brigadier Zephania Mkhwanazi on police tactics that day.

He said, “Police approached the protesters who had been shot and were lying on the ground. They searched them one by one, checking if they are dead. Those who were not dead were shot again.”

He added that witnesses will appear to substantiate these claims. The hearing continues.

Figure it out

• 34 striking miners in Marikana, South Africa, were shot dead by police last August

• 78 miners were injured during the massacre. Strikes in other mines spread across South Africa following the attack

• Many miners won a 22 percentage wage rise as a result of their strike