The Marikana miners’ strike or Lonmin strike was a wildcat strike at a mine owned by Lonmin in the Marikana area, close to Rustenburg in August 2012.
The shooting incident on August 16, that the press dubbed the ‘Marikana massacre’, was the single most lethal use of force by South African security forces against civilians since 1960, and the end of the apartheid era. The Marikana Commission of Inquiry which is currently underway was set up recently to get to the facts of this dire situation. The Inquiry will examine the events that took place at Marikana from August 9 to 16 during which 44 people died.
The event garnered international attention following a series of violent incidents between the South African Police Service, Lonmin security, the leadership of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and strikers themselves.
Thirty-four striking miners were shot dead on August 16 and 78 wounded when the police opened fire on them while trying to disperse a group gathered on a hill near the mine.At least 78 additional workers were also injured. The total number of injuries during the strike remains unknown.
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