Rustenburg - Two men arrested in connection with the murder of NUM shop steward Isaiah Twala were released on bail by the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate's Court on Thursday, police said.
Simphiwe Booi, 44, and Khanyile Kayisa, 35, were each granted R2500 bail, Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.
“Their lawyers' arguments were that these men were witnesses in the Farlam Commission. We don't have proof of that,” Ngubane said.
Their case was postponed to October 24. They were arrested on Wednesday evening at the Nkaneng and Marikana West informal settlements in connection with Twala's murder.
Twala was shot and hacked to death on August 14 last year. Police found his body on the side of a hill in Marikana with the skull of a bull.
Ngubane said 25 people had been arrested for various murders that took place before August 16, 2012.
The latest arrests brought to 27 the number of people arrested and charged with murder alone. In total, 574 people had been arrested in Marikana.
Earlier, Ngubane said bail would be opposed, as the two men were allegedly linked to other cases police were investigating.
Forty-four people were killed during a wage-related strike at Lonmin's platinum mining operations at Marikana last year. Thirty-four were killed on August 16, 2012 when police fired on them while trying to disperse and disarm them during a strike. Ten people, including two security guards and two policemen, were killed in the preceding week.
Lonmin workers wanted a R12 500 monthly salary during the strike. They had gathered on top of a hill near the Nkaneng informal settlement armed with knobkerries, pangas, iron rods, and spears.
Sapa