August 21st, 2012
01:43 PM ET

South Africa mine won't fire absent workers

The owner of the South African mine where 34 people died in a clash with police said Tuesday that it will not discipline workers who fail to return this week, reversing an ultimatum to return to duty or face being fired.

The announcement came a day after a government committee looking into humanitarian aspects of the tragedy told company leaders that such threats were not "in the national interest."

Meanwhile, South Africa's minister of police told a special session of Parliament on Tuesday that authorities had done everything in their power to avoid last week's fatal clash with miners.

"The events of Thursday, 16 August 2012, were not sudden eruption but a culmination of events that were building over months and months," Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa said, according to a transcript issued by the government. "The South African Police Service is saddened by the events that unfolded on that fateful day. The police did all in their power to avert such a situation."

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Filed under: South Africa • World
soundoff (7 Responses)
  1. James Bond

    Crooked cops

    August 21, 2012 at 2:58 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Kismet

    Did they arrest the cops who opened fire on them?

    August 21, 2012 at 3:14 pm | Report abuse |
  3. tjp44

    Like we said in The Nam, "Fire them all. Let the unemployment office sort them out."

    August 21, 2012 at 4:18 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Rael

    Dipsticks? DIPSTICKS? Why the name calling? Don't have anything better do do? Daa, quit posting if you hate everyone.

    August 21, 2012 at 7:08 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    The Lonmin mine is the worlds 3rd largest producer of platinum. 3000 drill workers walked off the job because of their dead co workers. Now Lonmin doesn't have enough workers to bring the platinum up through the mine shafts. The workers make about $5-600 dollars a month. They want an increase to $1512 dollars a month.
    This scenario is what a lot of businesses in this country will face running to Mexico, Canada, and any country other than here.
    When a cronie capitalist company treats thier employees like crap, this perhaps is the end result.
    They are given till tomorrow to show up for work.

    August 21, 2012 at 7:14 pm | Report abuse |
  6. blue

    thats africa for you

    August 21, 2012 at 10:18 pm | Report abuse |
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