Marikana miners 'face murder charges

[Super Nova]

This is a bloody disgrace. The miners who were in the crowd will be charged with the murder of their fellow miners.

SA is going down the tubes faster than I thought.

We should be thankful that we live in a society that does not permit this.

Everyone from SA I speak to say it's getting worse and worse.


South African Marikana miners 'face murder charges' Six of the 270 arrested miners remain in hospital.

Workers arrested at South Africa's Marikana mine will be charged shortly with the murder of 34 colleagues shot by police, an official has said.

A prosecuting authority spokesman told the BBC that 270 workers would be tried under the "common purpose" doctrine.

They were in the crowd which confronted the police, who opened fire, sparking a national outcry.

Police have not been charged because a commission of inquiry would investigate their actions, the spokesman said.

Six of the 270 workers remain in hospital, after being wounded in the 16 August shooting.

The other 264 workers are appearing in the Garankuwa magistrates court near the capital, Pretoria.

About 100 people are protesting outside court, demanding their immediate release.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Frank Lesenyego said they would all face murder charges because they were in the crowd of striking platinum miners, some of whom were armed.

"This is under common law, where people are charged with common purpose," he said.

He said the updated indictments had already been given to the defence and these would be formally delivered to the accused in court, starting on Thursday.

During a visit to the mine after the killings, President Jacob Zuma told workers he "felt their pain" and promised a speedy and thorough investigation of the killings.

Police said they started shooting after being threatened by large groups of miners armed with machetes.

Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed during the protests before the police shooting.

[mantra]

It's primitive. Would the same law apply if they were wealthy white South Africans?

[boxy]

Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed during the protests before the police shooting.

So, they were essentially rioting, leading to the deaths of police and security officers?

And you're outraged that they get arrested and charged?

OK then...

[Super Nova]

Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed during the protests before the police shooting.

So, they were essentially rioting, leading to the deaths of police and security officers?

And you're outraged that they get arrested and charged?

OK then...

Boxy,

Do you think that every person on the streets when the London rioted should be charged with all the major crimes committed during that period.

"National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Frank Lesenyego said they would all face murder charges because they were in the crowd of striking platinum miners, some of whom were armed.

"This is under common law, where people are charged with common purpose," he said. "

For the law to be applied properly they would have to prove common purpose. Surely just because you were in the crowd picketing outside the mine does not make you a murder when 99% of the killings were conducted by the police.

I don't think that they needed to kill so many to control the riot/protest.
Why haven't the security or police being charged?