Johannesburg - The assault and burning of a worker at Amplats's Swartklip Union Mine is appalling and barbaric, North West premier Thandi Modise said on Friday.
“We condemn in the strongest term the heinous deed and call on the community to assist police to bring the perpetrators to book,” Modise said in a statement.
The 46-year-old man was attacked by four men on Thursday morning while on his way to work, Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said at the time.
The men were allegedly striking mineworkers at Sefikile, said Ngubane.
Two men initially stopped him and asked if he was going to work.
Two men wearing balaclavas then arrived and pointed a firearm at him.
“They took him to the nearby open veld and attacked him,” Ngubane said.
“They assaulted him with sticks and knobkerries. After he collapsed, assailants removed his socks and soaked them in petrol. They tied them on his belt before setting him alight.”
The four men robbed the miner of his cellphone and left him for dead.
Ngubane said the man took off his burning clothes and ran naked towards the shaft.
He was taken to the mine hospital and treated for second degree burns and head injuries.
Police opened a case of attempted murder, pointing a firearm, and robbery.
No arrests had been made.
Modise said intimidation and violence towards non-striking workers associated with the strike undermined peace and stability in the mining sector.
Striking platinum miners belonging to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union have been on a four-week-long wage-related strike.
Members of Amcu at Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum, and Impala Platinum went on strike on January 23, demanding a R12,500 basic monthly salary for miners.
The platinum producers proposed a three-year agreement last month.
The proposal was a nine percent increase for A-level workers, 8.5 percent for B-level and 7.5 percent for C-level workers in the first year. - Sapa