Marikana Massacre

[Meatpie]

The Marikana massacre, was the killing of 34 miners by the South African Police Service (SAPS). It took place on 16 August 2012, and was the most lethal use of force by South African security forces against civilians since 1976. The massacre has been compared to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre. The incident took place on the 25th anniversary of a nationwide miners' strike.

The killings took place at two locations, roughly 500 metres away from each other, with 17 people fatally wounded at each of these locations. The vast majority of those killed were killed by fire from the R5 assault rifle used by the police. The official figure for strikers injured during the shooting is 78.

The strike was considered a seminal event in modern South African history, and was followed by similar strikes at other mines across South Africa, events which collectively made 2012 the most protest-filled year in the country since the end of apartheid.

The Marikana massacre occurred during a wildcat strike at a mine owned by Lonmin in the Marikana area, close to Rustenburg, in 2012. The event garnered international attention following a series of violent incidents between the police, Lonmin security, and members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on one side, and strikers on the other. The first incidents of violence were on 11 August, when NUM leaders opened fire on NUM members who were on strike. Two strikers were seriously wounded, but not killed, in the shooting by NUM members.

During the period from Sunday 12 August to Tuesday 14 August, 10 people were killed, including six mine workers, two Lonmin security guards, and two SAPS members. Three of the mine workers, and the two SAPS members, were killed in a clash between strikers and SAPS members on the afternoon of 13 August. The remaining five people are known to or believed to have been killed by strikers. In response to the massacre, there were a wave of wildcat strikes across the South African mining sector.