CORRECTION: One killed, three wounded in shooting incident outside CCMA offices in Rustenburg

One person has been killed and three others wounded in a shooting outside the offices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in Rustenburg earlier on Thursday.

The incident happened while the CCMA was mediating a wage deadlock between management and trade unions in a local mining company.

According to the CCMA, a group of mineworkers mostly belonging to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) had gathered outside and were singing and chanting while mediation was taking place inside its offices.

Then suddenly a scuffle broke out between unions members and shots were fired.

The Executing Director of the CCMA, Cameron Morajane, says four people were shot and one person has passed away.

“… all of the sudden, while the case was proceeding the staff heard shooting from outside and as the Provincial Senior Commissioner, was going outside to check and he found that four members were shot on the spot and one person had passed away. We are monitoring the other three who were injured in the same incident,” says Morajane.

CORRECTION: Note that this article has been modified to reflect the correct version of the event on 19 August 2021, after CCMA apologises to AMCU following an erroneous statement made by CCMA in a voice note to the SABC News. It was incorrectly stated that AMCU was part of the CCMA verification process that was taking place on 19 August 2021.