Johannesburg - Lonmin are treating developments at their Marikana mine, where a number of people were shot on Thursday by police, with the utmost seriousness, the company's chairperson said in a statement.
“We are treating the developments around police operations this afternoon (Thursday) with the utmost seriousness,” said chairperson Roger Phillimore.
“The South African Police Service have been in charge of public order and safety on the ground since the violence between competing labour factions erupted over the weekend.”
The violence claimed the lives of eight of the company's employees and two police officers, said Phillimore.
“It goes without saying that we deeply regret the further loss of life in what is clearly a public order rather than labour relations associated matter.”
Chanting could be heard from an informal settlement near the mine on Thursday evening, after the shooting left at least 18 people dead or wounded.
It was not clear if the group, who were singing liberation songs, were armed, but police were keeping watch.
The shooting erupted when police sought to disperse armed, striking workers who had gathered on a hill, in the area that had already seen 10 deaths in violent protests the past week.
It was not immediately clear who fired the first shots.
Police were not immediately available to comment on the number of dead and wounded in Thursday's shooting.
An uneasy calm returned to the mine area on Thursday evening as paramedics attended to those who were hit. - Sapa