The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) sends its deepest condolences to our allies, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and to the families of workers who have lost their lives during yesterday’s bloodiest shooting of workers by members of the South African Police Services (SAPS).

Whatever their grievances, NUMSA does not condone the use of violence by workers to pursue and advance their demands.

However, as NUMSA we are of the firm view that there are other ways of dealing with the Lonmin mine crisis without the use of automatic machine guns, where live ammunition has been used against workers armed only with spears and knobkerries as we saw the police doing yesterday.

The barrel of a gun cannot supersede a platform for collective engagements!

We call for an urgent investigation of the causes of this massacre of workers by police.
If we are not careful, we might slide into a police state wherein the men and women in blue uniforms are recklessly used to bring an end to all forms of protest under the pretext of maintaining law and order.

The events that took place yesterday at Lonmin mine, brought back ugly memories of the past where workers were slaughtered during the apartheid sponsored violence in hostels and townships.

What transpired yesterday in Marikana opened the old and unhealed wounds to the families of many workers who lost their lives in the fight for trade union rights.

NUMSA calls on Lonmin bosses to apply cool-heads by opening engagements with workers in order to adhere to their grievances and avert further violence.

Contact:

Castro Ngobese, NUMSA National Spokesperson – 083 627 5197

Source

Numsa Press Releases