A man was beaten up and his car was set alight near Anglo American Platinum mine, near Rustenburg, North West police said on Tuesday.
"A man was driving his car on Monday night when a group of people attacked him. They pulled him out of his car, assaulted him and set the car alight," said Brigadier Thulani Ngubane.
"It is premature to link the incident with the ongoing Amcu [Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union] strike in the mine … " he said.
"[The] police investigation should be allowed to take place to determine whether the incident is strike-related."
Ngubane said the man fled to the home of his friends after the attack and had not been identified.
The car was burnt at a taxi rank in front of the Jabula hostel near the Sondela informal settlement on Monday night.
The informal settlement is near Khuseleka shaft one in Rustenburg.
"It burnt last night [Monday]. We do not know who set it on fire," Tebogo Lebeko, one of the workers' leaders, said on Tuesday.
Amcu members downs tools
Members of Amcu downed tools on Friday in an attempt to force Anglo American Platinum not to retrench 3 300 workers.
On May 10, the company announced revised proposal focused on improving the profitability and sustainability of its business.
The proposal included consolidating Rustenburg into three operating mines through the integration and optimisation of Khuseleka shaft two and Khomanani shafts one and two into the surrounding mines.
On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of workers at Khuseleka gathered at a sports ground for a meeting.
Some arrived in cars and others walked from the nearby Sondela informal settlement. They blew whistles and chanted while they filed into the venue. Police kept watch from a distance.
They held a brief meeting and agreed to meet on Wednesday morning. Workers at other shafts were also expected to meet at their workplaces on Wednesday morning.
At Bathopele, striking workers shook hands with non-striking workers when they knocked off.
They shared drinks and rides with fellow workers knocking off.
Amcu members held meetings at various shafts on Tuesday. All were peaceful.
Legal strike
Armed security guards were posted at shaft entrances. Water cannons with mounted cameras were also parked in the area.
On Friday, the company confirmed that the strike was legal for only Amcu affiliated workers, and not for the National Union of Mineworkers, National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and Uasa members. – Sapa