A mass killing of striking miners in South Africa

A police shooting at striking mine workers in Lonmin’s platinum mine in Marikana, South Africa killed 34 striking miners and wounded 78 others during the second week of August 2012 throwing the entire world in to a shock. Scores of striking miners have been arrested. The mine is located some 100 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg. Police claimed that the striking minors advanced against the police who were there to maintain law and order. A few days before the incident another 10 including two police officers were killed at the mine site. Since the latest killing, the subject mine has been closed and strikes requesting increased wages are spreading to other mines in the country.

Minors at the platinum mine were on strike demanding better wages. On average minors earn about $500 U.S. month. Striking miners were demanding three times more than their current pay. South Africa is rich in natural resources but only the big businesses benefits from it. Most of the people including miners in South Africa still live under poor economic conditions. The South African President Jacob Zuma has declared a week of national mourning and ordered an investigation into the mine killings.