Marikana - The wildcat strike at Lonmin's platinum mine will continue until NUM's local office has been shut down, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said on Tuesday.
“The employer refused to close the National Union of Mineworkers office, saying NUM had been given notice to vacate offices by July 3,” said branch chairman Mceli Balimani.
He was reporting back to striking workers at the Wonderkop stadium in Marikana.
Amcu members went on strike on Tuesday, demanding that the NUM offices should be shut. The union said NUM has lost its status as a majority union.
Balimani said Amcu members would stage sit-ins at shafts in the morning, and would meet in the afternoon to get a report back from leaders.
They marched earlier in the day through the dusty streets of Nkaneng from Wonderkop, the hill where 34 striking miners were shot dead by police on August 16, last year.
The Amcu strikers had gathered at the hill before going to the stadium.
They sang, waved knobkerries and blew whistles as they marched. Women standing in their yard ululated as the marchers passed them.
At the stadium they continued to sing while waiting for union leaders to address them.
They sang: “Amcu ya sebetsa Lonmin” (“Amcu is active at Lonmin”).
The strikers waved sticks in the direction where police vehicles were parked. “Police are dogs. They must leave,” they sang.
A high number of police officers were deployed to monitor the situation.
Three people, including Amcu regional organiser Mawethu Steven, were gunned down in Marikana at the weekend.
Steven was shot dead at a tavern in Photsaneng on Saturday.
Two brothers, Andile and Ayanda Menzi, were shot dead also in Nkaneng on Saturday.
Most workers wore green Amcu T-shirts, or yellow T-shirts with the National Council of Trade Unions' emblem on the back.
One worker, Amos Maja, said the NUM was no longer the majority union at the mine and should give Amcu space to operate.
“We want Amcu to operate free 1/8ly 3/8, that's why we want the office of the other union to be closed.”
Lonmin confirmed operations were suspended on Tuesday morning because of the strike.
“We can confirm there is a stoppage. Workers arrived for work, but did not go underground. The reason for them not going underground is unclear,” said company spokeswoman Sue Vey.
Strikers said they wanted police to arrest those behind the murder of Steven.
“Police are here watching us while the murderers are roaming the streets. They must go down and track those killers,” Maja said.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) in Gauteng urged law enforcement agencies to focus on the area around Lonmin's Marikana
mine.
“Our members are victimised each and every day,” Gauteng Cosatu secretary Dumisani Dakile told reporters in Johannesburg.
He said Cosatu was concerned about security in the area and he called on State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele to ensure the situation was under control.
“They must be able to deploy all necessary resources to make sure that particular area remains calm, and no one is injured, and no one is killed.”
Earlier, NUM regional co-ordinator Mxhasi Sithethi said the situation at the mine was tense.
“People are singing outside our office, demanding the closure of the NUM office.” - Sapa