Two gold miners were killed and at least seven were injured on Monday when shots were fired on striking miners at a South African gold mine, a union official said.
According to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM) security guards killed two workers and injured seven.
It was not clear who fired the shots. A mine official was not available for comment.
Circle Labour and Accommodation representative Henne van Blerk confirmed that two of their employees were killed and seven others injured. He said no further details were available. The miners were recruited by his company on the mine’s behalf.
NUM representative Mofirifiri Lekorotsoana said the men were shot dead when the guards were forcing workers out of the mine shaft area.
He said security told about 4 000 contract workers to pack their bags and leave the mine immediately. The guards were ordered by the new mine’s management, Durban Roodepoort Deep (DRD) to remove the workers who were recruited on ERPM’s behalf by Circle Labour and Accommodation.
Lekorotsoana said workers were told on Monday morning that the new management was cancelling contracts because DRD wanted to start a new recruitment process.
ERPM last week issued an ultimatum after the 4 000 miners observed the Congress of SA Trade Union anti-privatisation stayaway but failed to return to work at the end of the strike on Wednesday night.
ERPM ordered Circle Labour to ensure that its members returned to work by Sunday morning or have its contract with management cancelled.
The workers were expected to return to the mine by 6am on Sunday at the start of the day’s shift or its contract would be cancelled with immediate effect. – Sapa