/ 22 August 2012

Marikana tragedy: Video chat

Our reporters
Our reporters

South Africans are still reeling in the wake of the Lonmin tragedy in which dozens of miners were killed in a tense and violent confrontation with the police.

We asked our audience for their questions following the tragedy, and to vote on existing questions. Go here to see the top voted questions.

Watch Verashni Pillay as she hosted a live video chat with the M&G's reporting team covering the story, posing your top-voted questions to them. We also took your tweets in real time. 

Last week Thursday 34 people were killed and 78 were wounded in a shootout between police and miners. The majority of those killed are understood to have been involved in illegal industrial action at the mine after rock drillers affiliated to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) demanded their monthly salary of R4 000 be increased to R12 500.

The president ordered an inquiry into the incident earlier this week.

You can also join us via video for our weekly live video chats every Friday using Google Hangouts – a technology similar to that of Skype. To do so all you need is:

  1. A computer; a webcam, audio and mic facilities (standard on most laptops); and a reasonably good internet connection.
  2. Set up a Google Plus account which you can do using your existing Gmail account.
  3. Download the software here.
  4. Email your name, contact details and questions here and we will get in touch with you to take part in our live chat via video.