Four Marikana miners have told Eyewitness News that they fear for their lives claiming that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) is enabling killings on the platinum belt.
The miners say they’ve been forced into exile as a result of tensions in the area and claim that union leaders have not protected those speaking out against corruption.
At least 10 people including members of the union's Lonmin branch leadership have been killed in the last five years.
Eyewitness News reporter Pelane Phakgadi has more on the story.
They say they have had to flee the platinum belt for their safety.
— Pelane Phakgadi, EWN reporter
They have made some damning allegations saying Amcu has created an environment which enables the killings, they allege that when leaders speak bad of Amcu members or a branch leader and link them with NUM they were killed or had an attempt on their lives.
— Pelane Phakgadi, EWN reporter
A miner has explained to Phakgadi how a former Amcu Lonmin branch secretary was allegedly assassinated in 2014.
They have made an example of former branch secretary Bongani Mehlonkomo, here they say that leaders were in a steward council which Mathunjwa was part of, they made it known that Mehlonkomo was bought a 10 room house and a car by the NUM which is the rival union, four days later Mehlonkomo was killed.
— Pelane Phakgadi, EWN reporter
When they went to bury him he was merely living in a run down two room in the Eastern Cape.
— Pelane Phakgadi, EWN reporter
Phakgadi says some workers have bullet wounds claiming to have survived an attempt on their lives.
Some of them have been hit and have bullet wounds.
— Pelane Phakgadi, EWN reporter
We did make several attempts to call Jospeh Mathunjwa and a trail of sms's were left and he did not respond to them. The secretary general of Amcu responded saying that they believe the killings are from an external force not from infighting.
— Pelane Phakgadi, EWN reporter
The union announced last month that forensic investigator Paul O'sullivan will probe the apparent assassinations.
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This article first appeared on 702 : Marikana miners fear for their lives, claim Amcu is responsible for killings
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