Modise sends condolences to Marikana families

North West premier Thandi Modise sent her condolences to the families of the men killed in Marikana over the weekend, her office said on Tuesday.

   

"We wish to convey our condolences to the families that lost their loved ones in the two incidents and call on the community to work with the police to ensure that faceless instigators of violence within our mining communities are unmasked so that violence does not become a way of life in these communities," Modise said in a statement.

  

On Sunday night, a 49-year-old Lonmin worker was shot dead in Wonderkop near Marikana while on his way to work.

   

"[He was] approached by unknown men who shot him... in the body and neck. The suspects allegedly fled the scene [in] a white Toyota Corolla with Gauteng province registration numbers," said Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone.

   

The motive for the shooting was unknown and no arrests had been made.

   

He said it was not clear if the shooting was related to other murder cases in the area, or linked to rivalry between the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) at the Lonmin platinum mine in Rustenburg.

   

On Friday, a taxi owner was shot dead and another man wounded at the Marikana taxi rank.

   

"It is alleged the victim, who is a taxi owner, was shot when he got out of his car, while the other man was standing... at the rank," said Mokgwabone.

   

The injured man was taken to hospital.

   

He said three men fired shots at the two men on Friday night.

   

"The motive [for] the incident is unknown at this stage; the incident is not linked to previous cases of murder that were reported in the area," Mokgwabona said.

  

-Sapa