Cape Town – The long-awaited report of the commission of inquiry into the fatal shooting of Marikana miners in 2012, faulted Lonmin on five counts, including failing to defuse the dispute and protect workers, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.
The comission found that Lonmin “did not use its best endeavours” to defuse the disputes that arose between itself and workers in the unprotected strike at its platinum mines on the one hand, and between striking and non-striking workers, Zuma said as he read a summary of the report out in a special television broadcast at 7pm.
It also did not repond correctly to the outbreak of violence, and failed to take adequate measures to protect employees.
Furthermore, the mining house, “also insisted those not striking should come to work despite knowing that it was not in position to protect them” adequately, the president said,
Lastly, the commission criticised Lonmin’s labour policies and failure to address the dire housing situation at the mines.
Its recommendations included an order that the department of mineral resources should be briefed about Lonmin’s failure to comply with government directives about accommodation for miners and “should take steps to enforce compliance”.
ANA