No evidence that Marikana miners attacked police, says expert
An independent researcher and expert on the Marikana
massacre and policing in South Africa has revealed that there is no evidence
suggesting that the striking miners attacked police.
Thursday will mark exactly 6 years since 34 miners were gunned down by police at the Lonmin platinum mine in North West.
Expert David Bruce presented his research a day before the anniversary of the massacre.
“The issue about whether the strikers were attacking the police is a little bit more intricate.
"I’ve already talked about the whole scenario with Mr Mkhonjwa the first person to be killed on the west side. There is evidence that supports the conclusion that those strikers were trying to make a run for it from the west side, under pressure from the water canons they possibly were not aware that there were police positioned there.
“The intention was not to attack the police, that least seems to be what is likely to have happened. One can’t exclude the possibility that some would have wished to attack the police,” says Bruce.
Bruce also believes the police acted in an emotional manner.
“It seems clear that the police at scene 2 (the small koppie where 17 of the 34 miners were killed) were acting in a way that was reckless and irresponsible. And it does seem that they were going beyond that, and it seems that in understanding the events of scene two, one needs to see the emotion having a powerful the role in motivating a type of response the type of way in which police in shaping their response.”