Marikana must not be repeated: Cosatu

(File photo) Protesting miners approach the police before they were shot at outside the Lonmin mine in Rustenburg. Photo: Reuters

(File photo) Protesting miners approach the police before they were shot at outside the Lonmin mine in Rustenburg. Photo: Reuters

Published Aug 23, 2012

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Johannesburg -

Scenes like the Marikana shooting that claimed the lives of 34 people must never be seen again, Cosatu said on Thursday.

“We must reject any idea that this is just a normal feature of South African life and become immune to such unnecessary loss of life,” Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement.

“Never again must we see such scenes on our TV screens.”

Cosatu said it shared the grief and despair of the families of the dead miners.

“After 18 years of democracy, we have witnessed scenes which we had hoped were now only part of our history,” said Craven.

“For 34 workers to be killed within three minutes is a colossal disaster.”

Police opened fire on striking workers last Thursday, killing 34 of them and wounding 78. Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed in the week leading up to the shooting.

Cosatu said it would hold a media briefing on Friday at 10am. This would be at its headquarters in Johannesburg.

Craven said a detailed report on the shooting and background disputes would be issued on Tuesday.

“Now is not the time to go into this detailed assessment, nor to play the blame-game,” he said.

“We must await the findings of the commission of inquiry, which we hope will establish exactly what happened on that tragic day.” - Sapa

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