Killing of workers continues in South African's Marikana

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) on Friday condemned the killing of a mineworker in the volatile mining area of Marikana northwest of Johannesburg. The miner, a branch chairperson at the Lonmin Platinum Mine, was shot dead on Thursday night. He was a member of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which has been in a turf war with its rival, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) , for dominance among mineworkers. The killing is likely to rekindle tension in Marikana where 44 people were killed in strike-related violence last August. COSATU said it was shocked because these killings continue even after there was an Peace Agreement facilitated by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. "COSATU believes that this action continues because some organizations were reluctant to sign the peace accord and the agreement brokered by the president and this shows that they were never committed to bringing peace and stability in the area," the union federation said in a statement. The peace accord, also known as the Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry, was signed by the government, business and organized labor in July. The agreement sets out key steps and processes that will see all parties working together to ensure stability and sustainability of the mining sector for the future of South Africa's economy. COSATU reiterated its call on President Jacob Zuma to declare a state of emergency in the Marikana area until the situation returns to normal. "The police must not say they are doing all within their power to safeguard our poor workers while workers are killed on a daily basis," said COSATU. Since the Marikana tragedy last year, dozens of workers have been killed in violence linked to rivalry among unions vying to gain dominance among the mineworkers. The South African mining sector has been hit by persistent labor unrest that forced stoppages at many mines and caused billions of rand in losses.