Strikers at Lonmin's troubled Marikana mine, in North West, vowed not to return to work on Thursday, seven days after embarking on an illegal strike.
The armed workers, most of whom are rock drill operators, said they would not go back underground until the mine met their demand for a R12,500 salary increase.
The men were joined by a group of women on Thursday. They said they were supporting their husbands in the fight for more pay.
The men have based themselves on a hilltop at nearby Wonderkop for the past few days.
They were believed to be using muti (traditional medicine) provided by a sangoma (traditional healer) to enable them to be fearless and carry on with the strike.
Police attempts to disarm them and bring them down the hill were unsuccessful.
Ten people, including police officers, security guards and union shopstewards, have been killed since the start of the violent protest on Friday.
The protest was initially believed to be linked to rivalry between the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) about recognition agreements at the mine.
However, protesters later said they wanted a salary increase.
On Thursday, Num secretary general Frans Baleni told reporters in Johannesburg that investors were raising “serious concerns” about the shutting down of operations at Lonmin.
“This is happening when the commodity is very low. We are fighting unemployment and this does not look good,” he said.
The government, unions and industry bodies have condemned the violence at Lonmin.
“We respect the workers' constitutional right to protest, but we disapprove the killing of innocent people associated to any of the unions,” said ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu.
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant urged the NUM and Amcu go to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and negotiate.
“The violence that has occurred cannot be condoned,” she said.
Solidarity said the strike was not about a labour dispute.
“This illegal action is merely criminal behaviour aimed at destabilising a workplace and a well-functioning labour relations system,” said its secretary general Gideon du Plessis.
Amcu and the Num have each distanced themselves from the bloodshed at Lonmin, but have accused one other of inciting the violence.
Amcu accused the Num of using “tactics” in the face of it losing members to Amcu.
Meanwhile, Baleni claimed a hit list had been compiled containing the names of Num members at Lonmin.
Police said on Thursday that six people had been arrested and charged with intimidation.
“None of them has been charged with murder,” said police spokesman Captain Dennis Adriao.
Lonmin spokesman Barnard Mokwena said on Wednesday that the company had decided to withhold warning letters, to get the workers to return to work.
“We refrained from doing that because union leaders showed commitment to talk to the workers.” - Sapa