Not what I expected - SA mine shootings

[CaroleService]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19424484

All those handy laws still on the statute book.

I'm not sure I fully understand!

I'm still in shock, just insane

It relates to the deaths of the 10 people, hacked to death by machete, before the police opened fire.

The police actions, they say, will be considered separately.

Ah I see, that makes much more sense!

But that's not what the article says at all Edith...

They are being tried for the murder of the 34 miners shot by the police, under the law of 'common purpose'.

The current BBC report states that 270 strikers have been charged with the murders of the 34 shot dead.

That might be confused reporting, but at the moment that's what it says.

If this is about the 10 dead in other (I think separate) incidents it's still pretty to charge 270 with murder. Riot, etc, yes, but murder? For the whole group? Including those the prosecutor states were unarmed?

I remember when this offence was brought in, and used to charge a much smaller group. It was considered outrageous then, because members of the crowd have no control over what other members do.

Sorry, by "separate incidents" I mean still connected to the strike but on different occasions within that.

I don't think it's confused reporting as such...although as I had never heard of the law I was unsure what I'd read for a sec there! It definitely clearly states what they are being charged with and why. I would guess the 10 deaths before, including the 2 policemen, are being used as 'evidence' against the protesters that they caused the situation.

Completely agree with your view on it tho Nilgiri.

Hugely depressing.

And the lonmin (the minining company?) had said they just needed to return to work. Big business and police corruption.

I've been there I was I wasn't convinced by this 'rainbow' state stuff because there is so much poverty and if big business has a big stake in this poverty how will things change at grass roots level?

Some of the best heathcare and education in the world measured against this type of incident isn't great.

nothing confused about the reporting, it's just the facts are hard to get your head round because they are so Kafka-esque.

I don't suppose it is reasonable to demand that the post-Mandela leadership of the ANC displayed an ounce of his courage, dignity or strategic thinking but good grief, you'd think they'd wait a few years before turning into evil bastards reinventing the tools of oppression from aparheid S Africa...

Okay so I was correct in the first place.

It absolutely and utterly stinks and somehow the rest of the world again isn't interested!

It's a fucked up country with a v weak gov, volatile combination. Low level social unrest everywhere just rarely hits the headlines.
International press want to swallow the 'rainbow nation' ideal and think now apartheid gone, problem solved. It's not. I think the country is long overdue a nationwide meltdown...

The miners weren't blameless though - they had already killed 10 people.

I agree with Salbertina - it's all very fucked up and dangerous.

It is horrible- they obviously think they can just squash and silence the miners.

And they probably can.
How depressing.

Nancy - of course the miners who didn't shoot the miners are blameless in that regard! How bizarre that you would think otherwise

it's not bizarre at all. It's just not a black and white situation.

The miners were armed with machetes, swords and spears. It wasn't a peaceful demonstration. Their victims had been hacked to death, not shot.

The police panicked and didn't know what to do - seems to me the police are badly trained and lack judgement.

It's a horrible situation but it's not as simple as miners = good and police = bad.

Charges just been stopped, for now at least. Problem is Zuma lining his pockets from mining and similarly lucrative industries- is keen to keep mine-owners on side