Lonmin mines see fresh violence
Striking platinium miners gather on August 20, 2012 at London-listed Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine, where police opened fire on hundreds of workers staging a wildcat strike on August 16. Platinum miner Lonmin said today it will hold a press conference with unions to urge workers to return to the job after an 11-day wildcat strike that has left 44 dead.
Other Lonmin mines are also experiencing violence, Reuters reported, raising further concerns about the world's number three platinum producer to contain unrest after 44 people were killed at its Marikana mine earlier this month.
"There have been incidents of intimidation towards bus drivers overnight as well as intimidation of Eastern Platinum's workers this morning, preventing them from coming to work," Lonmin said, Reuters reported.
According to Fin24, the company is "racing to resume ore extraction," as there is no guarantee that mineworkers on strike will return after a mourning period for the workers killed earlier this month when police, reacting to an angry mob of striking mineworkers outside the Marikana platinum mine, opened fire with automatic rifles and pistols.
Lonmin can resume operation only after sufficient workers are in attendance, but on Monday, the company reported that only about one in 10 workers had showed up.
Lonmin is responsible for about 12 percent of the global platinum output, and South Africa is the world's biggest platinum producer, accounting for three-quarters of the world's known supplies of the precious metal.
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