S Africans hold memorials for slain miners

Memorials are taking place across South Africa to commemorate the 44 victims of violence since miners at one of the country’s largest platinum mines began a pay rise strike on August 10.Thirty-four miners were killed by police who opened fire on them at a Lonmin-operated platinum mine in Marikana in the country’s northwest province in what analysts have described as the deadliest day of protests since apartheid. Ten other people, including two policemen, were also killed. Police said they opened fire in self-defence.Reporting from Marikana, the scene of the shooting where one of the memorial services was being held on Thursday, Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa said the mood was tense.The miners and the mining community have told the government, which had planned to hold an official memorial service on Thursday at the scene of the shootings, that they would not be dictated to, said Mutasa.Public criticism has been growing against the African National Congress (ANC)-led government’s dealing of the incident. The mining community, led by expelled ANC youth league leader Julius Malema, held its own memorial service near the venue for the planned government memorial service.Malema, who was expected to speak at the service, criticised the government and the country’s president, Jacob Zuma, after the incident.He also led miners to a police station on Tuesday to open a murder case against the policemen who opened fire on the striking miners.The violence began when mine workers demanding a 300 per cent pay rise began the strike which degenerated into clashes as police clashed with armed miners.Meanwhile turf war between the ANC-allied National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) which spilled over to other mines along the platinum belt on Wednesday, has raised fears that anger over low wages and poor living conditions could generate fresh violence.Analysts have also raised concerns that the unrest could spread to gold producers.Impala Platinum, the world number two platinum producer also warned on Thursday that the industrial action could become more widespread.“The platinum industry is experiencing increased levels of industrial action ... These developments pose a significant risk to the industry,” said Terence Goodlace, Implats’ chief executive.Goodlace said the trade union rivalry was still “fairly volatile”.