Rustenburg -
Amcu's president made several attempts to get Lonmin management to engage with striking workers, a judicial inquiry into a shooting at the mine heard on Monday.
“(Amcu president) Mr (Joseph) Mathunjwa... tried to contact Lonmin and the SAPS (SA Police Service),” said Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) lawyer Tim Bruinders.
“He tried to speak to the provincial police commissioner, but was told she was not available; she was at an ANC torch-bearing ceremony.”
Bruinders said this was the last time on the day of the shooting that Mathunjwa tried to get Lonmin management to go to the hill where miners had gathered.
The striking workers had told Mathunjwa they would leave only when management came to speak to them about their wage demands. Lonmin had refused to do so.
“Deserted by Lonmin and the SA Police Service, Mr Mathunjwa returned to the koppie (hill),” said Bruinders.
The workers told Mathunjwa they were staying put and he left.
Later that day, August 16, 34 miners were killed and 78 wounded when the police opened fire on them.
Bruinders said neither Mathunjwa nor any of his colleagues were there when the miners were shot.
In his opening comments on Monday, Bruinders detailed the events leading up to August 16.
He said on July 21 Amcu first became aware that rock drill operators wanted their monthly wage increased to R12 500. The majority of them were National Union of Mineworkers' (NUM) members.
Lonmin struck a deal with the rock drill operators, outside the bargaining council, for an additional allowance which the workers later rejected, said Bruinders.
Between July and August 10, rock drillers from both unions met on numerous occasions, without union representation.
On August 10, the workers marched to Lonmin offices. Management refused to speak to them and advised that they speak to the NUM.
“On August 11, the rock drill operators marched to (the) NUM's offices,” said Bruinders.
“Like on August 10, they were unarmed and the march proceeded peacefully until marchers got 500 metres from the office and NUM officials shot and killed two of them.”
Bruinders said because of this the mineworkers decided to arm themselves.
“The rock drill operators decided to arm themselves for protection and went to the koppie.” - Sapa