Luke warm reception for ministerial committee at Lonmin

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Expelled ANC Youth League leader, Julius Malema has accused President Jacob Zuma of giving the order to shoot the miners in last week's massacre at the Lonmin mine in Marikana.

Malema laid murder charges against the SAPS involved in the incident on Tuesday, saying that all who spill blood should be held accountable.

Meanwhile a ministerial committee was greeted with antagonism on Tuesday when it tried to talk to striking Lonmin mine workers at Marikana in North West province.

They told the committee they wanted national police commissioner Riah Phiyega to explain why she had allowed the police to shoot their colleagues.

The miners also told the committee they objected to a memorial service being held while their arrested colleagues were unable to attend.

The committee was set up to deal with the aftermath of last Thursday's shooting in which police opened fire while trying to disperse a group of protesting mineworkers, killing 34 and wounding 78.

Another 260 were arrested on charges of public violence, and have since been denied bail.