title: The Marikana Massacre: Why Heads Must Roll.
abstract: The massacre of thirty-four striking platinum miners on the 16 August 2012 near the village of Marikana in South Africa revealed the collusion of the state, mining capital, and sections of the labor movement. Analysis of the buildup to the killings highlight the way the mining industry systematically ignored evidence of the potential for social conflict as a result of its labor policies over many years. Further, the way in which the killings unfolded and were covered up are evidence that justice was denied to workers and their families. It should provide a sobering reminder of the power of elite alliances and the elite capture of seemingly democratic institutions within the labor movement, even in a post-apartheid South Africa.
authors.affiliation: Independent Scholar, Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa belnews@telkomsa.net.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007750:Labor Unions / Q000458:organization & administration; D008906:Mining / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010984:Platinum; D057766:Policy; D012924:Social Conditions; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa; D014171:Transients and Migrants
chemical_list: D010984:Platinum
keywords: capitalism; corporate accountability; exploitation; labor struggles; mining; post-apartheid; resistance; shootings; state violence; strikes