(South Africa) In the town of Marikana sits a platinum mine, and an angry battle of wills between 2 different Labour unions (The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu)) and the mine owners has seen 44 people killed and over 100 injured.
It seems that the NUM accepted a pay raise which the newer union Amcu didn't, and as is the way in Africa, instead of sorting out their differences via the ballot box and such, machetes and clubs have been the main means of communication. Which is why up to Thursday last 10 people had been killed, 8 union men and 2 policemen, who were hacked to death.
Well, with the atmosphere around the mine getting very hot and poisonous, the South African police decided to lay a barbed wire fence around the mine in which to act as a barrier between the thugs and the mine. Well, the Amcu were having none of this and on Thursday decided to charge armed policemen in broad daylight. 34 dead people later and the liberal world are up in arms, the bBC is running article after article asking people what they think the police should have done. Of course, the video the bBC (and a few others) air don't really show the mass of armed thugs running towards the police. Have a look, tell me what you think the police should have done when faced with a bunch of bloodthirsty thugs who had hacked 2 of their comrades to bits the day before.
Moral of the story: don't bring a knife to a gunfight. Unfortunately, the deaths the other day haven't taught some idiots anything, with failed ANC member Julius Malema telling striking Marikana mine workers that they should die for their cause, and urged other mine workers to join them. I wonder if Julius is willing to lead the next charge on the police.
It seems that the NUM accepted a pay raise which the newer union Amcu didn't, and as is the way in Africa, instead of sorting out their differences via the ballot box and such, machetes and clubs have been the main means of communication. Which is why up to Thursday last 10 people had been killed, 8 union men and 2 policemen, who were hacked to death.
Well, with the atmosphere around the mine getting very hot and poisonous, the South African police decided to lay a barbed wire fence around the mine in which to act as a barrier between the thugs and the mine. Well, the Amcu were having none of this and on Thursday decided to charge armed policemen in broad daylight. 34 dead people later and the liberal world are up in arms, the bBC is running article after article asking people what they think the police should have done. Of course, the video the bBC (and a few others) air don't really show the mass of armed thugs running towards the police. Have a look, tell me what you think the police should have done when faced with a bunch of bloodthirsty thugs who had hacked 2 of their comrades to bits the day before.
