Lonmin
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Death of South Africa’s Lonmin Mining House. “Murder by Money” By Prof. Patrick Bond
The death of the 110-year old mining house Lonmin at a London shareholders meeting on May 28 occurred not through bankruptcy or nationalisation, as would have been logical at various points in time. It was the result of a takeover – generally understood as a rip-off of investors and workers – by an extremely jejune… Continue reading
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Marikana Massacre Hangs Over South Africa's New Extremely Rich ANC Leader
After a tight race that exposed stark divisions within the party, the African National Congress elected Cyril Ramaphosa, an anti-apartheid crusader, business tycoon, and key suspect in the 2012 Marikana Massacre is positioned to be the country’s next president. But will he root out corruption, or is he part of the problem? (inc. transcript) Continue reading
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South Africa: Sectarian shame of the SACP By Terry Bell
Shortly after the column below was written and blogged, the SA Communist Party issued its statement on Marikana that reveals the deep and dangerous sectarianism of this organisation. Here, I feel, is exposed one of the roots of the problem. I include here the final paragraph of that statement as an introduction to a repeat… Continue reading
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Video: South Africa and the Resource Curse
Patrick Bond: Mining interests are a powerful force shaping African politics (inc. transcript) Continue reading
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Video: Platinum Miners and Class Struggle in South Africa By Patrick Bond
Patrick Bond: Platinum miners strike inspires workers across South Africa; Billionaire mine owner becomes deputy head of ANC Continue reading
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South Africa: Politics, profits and policing after the Marikana Massacre By Patrick Bond
Lover of fast cars, vintage wine, trout fishing and game farming and the second richest black businessperson in South Africa (global financial publication Forbes puts his wealth at $675 million or £416 million), Cyril Ramaphosa (left) celebrates his election as deputy president of the ANC with South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa demanded that police… Continue reading
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The Marikana Massacre and the South African State's Low Intensity War Against the People By Vishwas Satgar
The massacre of the Marikana/Lonmin workers has inserted itself within South Africa’s national consciousness, not so much through the analysis, commentary and reporting in its wake. Instead, it has been the power of the visual images of police armed with awesome fire power gunning down these workers, together with images of bodies lying defeated and… Continue reading
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Shocking autopsy: South African police 'shot fleeing protesters in the back'
South African police are facing accusations of mass murder after autopsies on the victims of a bloody crackdown at Marikana platinum mine, showed that miners were shot in the back. Meanwhile, new violence has broken out at the location. Continue reading
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Ronnie Kasrils: Marikana – It was like poking a hornet's nest
An order was given to deploy almost 500 police armed with automatic weapons, reinforced by armoured vehicles, horsemen and helicopters; they advanced on a desolate hill where 3000 striking miners were encamped. That denoted an order from on high with a determination to carry out a dangerous and dubious operation to clear an isolated, stony… Continue reading
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Can't you hear the thunder? By Jay Naidoo
The headlines scream ‘Marikana Massacre’; ‘Killing Fields of Rustenburg’. Radio and TV Talk shows and social media all display the anger and expose the psyche of a nation badly wounded. The bloodiest security operation since the end of apartheid has left us shocked and asking what went wrong? The reality is, many things went wrong.… Continue reading
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Democratic Left Front: Justice now for the Marikana workers and community!
On August 16, 2012, post-apartheid democracy lurched into a horror. It was estimated 34 mineworkers at the Lonmin mine in the North West province were brutally gunned down by police, and in total over 70 workers have been injured. The death toll at this stage is still not completely verified, with the community still reporting… Continue reading
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Turmoil at South Africa’s Platinum Mines by Pratap Chatterjee
Clashes between South Africa’s powerful mining companies and the government are only part of the story. A battle to win membership between two rival unions – the older establishment affiliated National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the newer more radical Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) – is also reported to be a major… Continue reading
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Echoes of the Past: Marikana, Cheap Labour and the 1946 Miners Strike Chris Webb
On August 4, 1946 over one thousand miners assembled in Market Square in Johannesburg, South Africa. No hall in the town was big enough to hold them, and no one would have rented one to them anyway. The miners were members of the African Mine Worker’s Union (AMWU), a non-European union which was formed five… Continue reading
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Lonmin, the 'unacceptable face of capitalism' By Sipho Hlongwane
The company that preceded Lonmin was once dubbed ‘the unacceptable face of capitalism’ by a British prime minister. Tiny Rowland, man who turned the company into an international colossus, wore the slur happily. In the aftermath of the Marikana shootings, it seems like not much has changed since his day. Continue reading
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NGO accuses platinum mine owners of neglecting communities
Several Platinum miners have dismissed a non-governmental organisation report on their operations in the Rustenburg area. The Bench Marks Foundation is accusing platinum miners of neglecting mining communities in pursuit of profits. Mineworkers union National Union of Mineworkers has come out in support of Bench Marks findings. Continue reading
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Letter from a South African reader on the Marikana miners massacre
Shortly before the police attack on striking mine workers at Rustenburg’s Marikana platinum mine, police spokesperson Dennis Adriao issued a chilling threat, a portent of the massacre to follow: “Today is unfortunately D-Day.” Continue reading
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Marikana: NUM: Rival union 'may have planned' mine violence
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) secretary general Frans Baleni put the toll at 36 and blamed the unrest on the rival Association of Mineworkers and Communication Union making promises which could never be delivered and, in the process, organising an illegal action which led to the loss of lives. Continue reading
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South Africa: Lonmin's Killing Fields By Greg Nicolson
On Monday, a dozen Lonmin mineworkers sat on the grass at a North West resort. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) shop stewards and leaders of Lonmin’s Western Platinum branch fled their homes at the world’s third largest platinum producer, outside of Rustenburg, on Saturday. “We heard they identified the branch top five to kill,”… Continue reading
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At least 18 killed as S. African police open fire on thousands of striking miners (PHOTOS)
At least 18 bodies were seen lying bloody and motionless on the ground after local police opened fire on striking miners, a South African news agency reports. Some of the protesters were allegedly armed with machetes and spears. Continue reading
The New Dark Age 