The three-week long strike by members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) at Glencore Wonderfontein Coal Mine in Mpumalanga turned violent on Tuesday when protesters clashed with private security guards.
Production at the mine has been halted for nearly three weeks after workers went on strike over wages.
The mine, in a statement, said workers had turned increasingly violent, this after the protest had started out peacefully.
“The strike has turned increasingly violent in the past two weeks, resulting in the obtaining of a court order against Amcu and its members to desist from acts of violence at the mine,” the mine said in a statement.
Pictures: AMCU Twitter account
The South African Police Service said 57 striking workers were arrested and released on bail for intimidating other employees and damaging nearby farms.
Wonderfontein Coal mine is a joint venture between Glencore and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Shanduka Group.
However, Amcu accused mine management of hiring a private security company, Bidvest Security, to shoot and intimidate its members at the mine.
In a statement issued on its social media accounts, Amcu said the life of a miner had no value in South Africa.
“Our members were shot at Shanduka Mine in Wonderfontein, Mpumalanga. Picketing rules were violated by the Shanduka Mine management and security. AMCU members were shot with live ammunition,” Amcu alleged.
But police spokesman Kwapa MacDonald denied this, saying protesters were shot with rubber bullets.
Amcu’s spokesperson Manzini Zungu was not immediately available as he was locked in an urgent meeting which had been requested by mine management following the incident on Tuesday morning.
– African News Agency (ANA)
