Today a memorial service was held at the Marikana platinum for the 34 miners who were killed during a strike. The service was attended by South African President Jacob Zuma who detailed the judicial inquiry that has been opened into the shooting. More importantly then that though the mine owners Lonmin (London Mining) have dropped their ultimatum that the striking miners must return to work.
This comes as workers at the nearby Royal Bafokeng platinum mine have joined in the strike and Anglo American Platinum (the largest platinum mining company in South Africa) has confirmed that it has received a list of demands to improvements to pay and conditions from their South African workers. Outside of South Africa the Peruvian government has blocked plans for a new gold and copper mine over environmental concerns and the Australian mining minister has declared the mining boom to be over.
Surely then it's time for Lonmin to accept they are going to be giving the striking miners exactly what they want or risk a global uprising against the big mining companies - a sort of mineral spring if you will.
22:55 on 23/8/12.
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