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Amcu leaders have vowed to persist in a marathon strike in the platinum mining sector, as an undisclosed number of union members returned to work on Wednesday.
Platinum producer Lonmin set Wednesday as the deadline for employees to return to their posts.
This came after the company conducted an sms survey, which indicated more than 60% of workers wanted to return to work.
Earlier on Wednesday, the president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, Joseph Mathunjwa, told about 5 000 striking miners in Rustenburg, North West, that they remained on strike.
Amcu members at Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum, and Impala Platinum in Rustenburg and Northam in Limpopo downed tools on January 23 demanding a basic salary of R12 500 rand per month.
Meanwhile the situation in the country's platinum mines, where workers have been on a prolonged strike, is fraught with danger.
That's the view of former Anglo American boss and now scenario planner, Clem Sunter.
He told an audience in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday night that while he cannot predict how the situation will play out, the strike is driving a wedge in one of the country's key sectors.
Sunter says we're approaching a very critical stage of the game, because it appears that many workers want to return, but the question is whether intimidation will be used to stop them going back.
He says what's lacking from the 1990's, when he led Anglo's gold division, and now, is the good relationship between mine bosses and unions.
