Thaindian News

SPRINGS, SOUTH AFRICA (BNO NEWS) — Security guards allegedly went on a shooting spree at a mine owned by the nephew of South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday, according to a newspaper report on Friday.

The Sowetan newspaper reported that security guards shot up to 20 people at the Aurora Mine in Springs, a city on the East Rand in the country’s Gauteng province. The bodies were left underground, and were not reported to police, it said.

The Sowetan newspaper reported that frightened relatives and friends were at the scene on Wednesday, claiming that up to 20 people may have been killed in the shootings.

A team of journalists from the newspaper went underground at the mine on Wednesday and discovered four bodies with gunshot wounds, the paper reported. One of the bodies found by the reporters, that of a half-naked young man, had a gaping bullet wound in the chest, it said.

Meanwhile, survivors of the alleged killings have accused local police of refusing to dig out the bodies of their relatives. They said police told them that they only knew of five people who had being arrested underground on unrelated charges, and that there were no reports of anyone killed.

However, some believe police have refused to investigate the shootings because the mine is owned by the nephew of South African President Jacob Zuma, and a grandson of Nelson Mandela.

A survivor told the Sowetan he lost his two brothers in “the senseless killings” and said he managed to survive by fleeing and hiding in the underground corridors and pretending to be dead.

Meanwhile, another source told Sowetan that some of the bodies were retrieved underground by the security company using the safe shaft. “They used the Aurora Gold East Rand Ndlovu shaft because it is safer. They took out about four bodies but we did not know where they came from,” he said.

The five people arrested underground earlier, as police confirmed, were released on bail on Wednesday. Police said they were in possession of gold concentration and digging equipment that included generators in griding machines, but again said it was not aware of any shooting.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Friday said it was shocked by the reported killings, and called for an urgent investigation into the allegations and whether or not the victims were illegal miners.

“For over ten months, workers at Aurora were paid piece-meal by the company led by Khulubuse Zuma and Zondwa Mandela,” said Lesiba Seshika of the NUM. “The workers were left to fend for themselves in filthy hostels with no electricity and water and depended on upstream water contaminated with mine acid. The National Union of Mineworkers further calls for the reluctant state to take drastic measures against the owners of Aurora Empowerment Systems who inspite of their failure to properly manage Aurora are continuing to clinch business deals left, right and center. Their mines are becoming hazardous day and night whilst they continue to move the goal posts in terms of paying their workforce.”

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) also said it was shocked by the report and backed the NUM’s call for an urgent and independent investigation into the allegations. It also called for an investigation to find out if the victims were illegal miners or not, and insisted that anyone guilty of unprovoked shooting should be charged, tried and punished.

“COSATU does not condone illegal mining, but even if the people killed were involved in illegal mining that in no way justifies the brutal response allegedly meted out by the security guards,” said Patrick Craven, a spokesman for COSATU. “They have the same constitutional right as every other citizen to a fair trial and appropriate sentence.”

Dumisani Dakile, the Gauteng Provincial Secretary for COSATU, said it will urgently convene an urgent meeting with the Department of Labour to deal with the conditions affecting its members at the mine. “We will also be seeking a meeting with the Gauteng Government and Ekurhuleni Municipality to find ways and means to assist these workers,” he said.