Farlam Commission presses on

Marikana Commission of Inquiry chairman Ian Farlam is seen during the first week of the inquiry at the Civic Centre in Rustenburg in the North West, Wednesday, 3 October 2012. The judicial commission of inquiry into the shooting at Lonmin platinum mine was postponed on Wednesday. Lawyers representing the different parties unanimously decided to postpone the matter to 9am on October 22. Thirty-four miners were killed and 78 wounded when police opened fire on them while trying to disperse protesters near the mine in Marikana on August 16. Picture: SAPA stringer

Marikana Commission of Inquiry chairman Ian Farlam is seen during the first week of the inquiry at the Civic Centre in Rustenburg in the North West, Wednesday, 3 October 2012. The judicial commission of inquiry into the shooting at Lonmin platinum mine was postponed on Wednesday. Lawyers representing the different parties unanimously decided to postpone the matter to 9am on October 22. Thirty-four miners were killed and 78 wounded when police opened fire on them while trying to disperse protesters near the mine in Marikana on August 16. Picture: SAPA stringer

Published Nov 14, 2012

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Johannesburg - The Farlam Commission into the killing of 34 striking workers at Lonmin's platinum mine in Marikana, Rustenburg, continues on Wednesday.

The commission heard on Friday that the fatal shooting started with an eight-second burst of gunfire.

“The shooting was called off by members of the police’s TRT (tactical response team), who could see the shooting was no longer necessary,” said Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Scott.

He used video footage captured by various news crews to support his evidence.

Thirty-four striking mineworkers were killed and 78 were wounded when police opened fire while trying to disperse a group camped on a hill near the mine on August 16.

The videos showed attacking strikers dropping to the ground when they were hit by bullets. After the initial volley of shots, police began to shout “cease fire, cease fire”.

Scott said that after the shooting, the mineworkers retreated to behind two nearby hills, where they started fires.

A woman in the public gallery broke down wailing while the video footage was being shown. - Sapa

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