Marikana probe says S.Africa police lied about shootings

A South African commission of inquiry accused police of lying about the shooting dead of 34 striking miners in Marikana last year, in a searing criticism of their conduct Thursday. "We have obtained documents which in our opinion demonstrate that the (police) version of the events at Marikana... is in material respects not the truth," the commission said after gaining access to police hard drives. Law enforcers say they were acting in self defence against armed miners. But the commission accused police of falsifying and hiding documents, concealing evidence and giving a false account of events. "We have obtained documents which give the impression that they are contemporaneous documents, but which appear in fact to have been constructed after the events to which they refer," the commission's investigators said. "Absent a convincing explanation, the material which we have found has serious consequences for the further conduct of the work of this commission," it added. "We do not make this statement lightly," the inquiry said. National police spokesman Solomon Makgale called the statement "unfortunate and highly prejudicial". The force nevertheless undertook "to give any and all answers to the concerns they have raised when the commission resumes its work next week," Makgale was quoted as saying by Sapa news agency. The damning statement against the police is unusual, since the commission has not yet wrapped up its work more than a year after the massacre. On August 16, 2012 police opened fire on striking miners at platinum giant Lonmin's mine in Marikana, killing 34. Another 270 were wounded, sparking violent industry-wide strikes that lasted months. The commission said it will adjourn until next Wednesday to enable investigators to trawl through the "thousands of pages" which police officers had handed to the commission. Inquiry spokesman Tshepo Mahlangu told AFP the allegations "have not been tested as yet by the commission". "The judge clarified the matter to say that these are not findings of the commission, it is evidence of some wrong-doing that the investigators have come across." President Jacob Zuma appointed the commission to investigate the shootings. At least 10 other people -- including two police officers -- were killed during the highly charged strike the week before. But controversy has plagued the commission from the start. No relatives of the victims were present at the opening of the court proceedings and the hearing had to be adjourned until the government transported them from far-flung rural areas to attend. The commission's initial four-month mandate had to be extended twice and the new information may have jeopardised a new October deadline. Last Thursday hundreds marched to the seat of government in Pretoria demanding the state pay legal fees for injured or arrested miners appearing at the inquiry. The lawyers worked for free for months, but withdrew last August pending a court bid which they lost last month. Statement is 'first of its kind' Thursday's statement bodes ill for the beleaguered police force, which has limped from one scandal to another. A string of witnesses and police officers have appeared before the commission, including police commissioner Phiyega, with most offering only circumscribed accounts of events. No officer has been charged over the deaths, and only North West province Deputy Police Commissioner William Mpembe has taken direct responsibility for the decision to disperse strikers. Political analyst Gareth Newham said the commission's statement was unprecedented. "This is the first of its kind," said Newham, from think-tank the Institute for Security Studies. "It brings into question the integrity and honesty of a large proportion of senior leadership of the South African police," he told AFP. Independent policing researcher David Bruce said the allegations were a "shocking indictment". "The culture of misrepresenting information is deeply ingrained in the South African Police Service," he said. But it would be overly "optimistic" to suppose heads would roll over the allegations, he said. Ordinary South Africans expressed resignation over the commission findings, while some called for action against the police. "They must be arrested. It doesn't mean that because they are police they can't be arrested," said Princess Bhengu, 23. "That's how they are, I'm not surprised," said Katrago Molokoane, 35.