By Devon Maylie
JOHANNESBURG--South African police ramped up their efforts to
bring an end to the mine strikes spreading through the country's
platinum producing region of Rustenburg Saturday, using stun
grenades to disperse protesters and raiding a mine hostel
overnight, after the country's law enforcement agencies vowed this
week to arrest all those they believed were inciting the
activities.
Police spokesman Thulani Ngubane said Saturday that police
forces used stun grenades to disperse a crowd of 1,000 people who
had started to gather near Lonmin PLC's (LMI.LN) Marikana mine
Saturday morning, at a place where weeks before police fired live
ammunition into a crowd of protesters, killing 34.
Mr. Ngubane said that police also raided a Lonmin hostel
overnight, arresting five miners accused of dealing in
marijuana.
The moves come as police are trying to break the five-week long
strike at Lonmin that has spread to some of the country's biggest
platinum and gold mines. Workers on the ground said police barged
into the hostel in the middle of the night, breaking windows and
pointing guns at those asleep.
South Africa, which produces 80% of the world's platinum, is
struggling to contain the strikes, which finance minister Pravin
Gordhan said Friday had now become a problem for the country's
economy and threatened to cut into its growth outlook.
Justice Minister Jeff Radebe told a media briefing Friday that
law enforcement agencies won't tolerate individuals stirring up the
mining sector and said police will "not hesitate" to arrest those
who engage in illegal gatherings, carry dangerous weapons or incite
illegal activities.
The comments come days after firebrand Julius Malema, the
expelled African National Congress youth league leader, told miners
at Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) that if mine owners "don't meet your
demand [for higher wages] we are going to strike every month."
Groups of protesters are travelling between mines in the country's
biggest platinum producing region, Rustenburg, urging employees of
the likes of Xstrata PLC (XTA.LN) to join Lonmin and Anglo American
Platinum Ltd. (AMS.JO) workers in a nationwide strike Sunday.
Police already made seven arrests on Friday and dispersed a
group of 1,500 protesters outside a mine owned by Aquarius Platinum
Holdings, which had been going to different mines to get more to
join the strike.
The mine unrest started Aug. 10 when 3,000 rock drillers went on
strike at Lonmin's Marikana mine. In the days that followed,
clashes between employees left 10 dead. Tensions peaked Aug. 16
when police fired live ammunition into a crowd of protesters,
killing 34 people. One more body was found this week at the
mine.
Behind the strikes are demands for higher wages by workers
frustrated at the slow pace of change since the end of apartheid 18
years ago. Workers have rejected the National Union of Mineworkers,
the country's biggest union and an ally of the ruling African
National Congress, fuelling the discord. In the NUM's place,
upstart Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union has been
actively recruiting, spurring intra-union clashes as they battle
for membership. The strikes have since taken on their own dynamic,
with worker committees at the mines saying they are striking on
their own initiative, outside of all union leadership.
Wage negotiations at Lonmin's Marikana mine have so far not
yielded results. The company has offered an increase far below the
12,500 rand (US$1,522) a month miners are demanding.
Write to Devon Maylie at devon.maylie@dowjones.com