Pretoria - A man was killed because he went to work during the 2012 platinum miners' strike in Marikana, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard in Pretoria on Tuesday.
“We stabbed the man. I also took part in it. I used my panga to strike him,” the witness, identified only as “Mr X”, told the inquiry.
He may not be identified to protect his identity, and is testifying via video link from an undisclosed location.
Mr X said they asked Julius Langa where he was going and he told them he was going to work.
“We asked, 'how can you go to work when there is a strike?' and we killed him,” Mr X said.
Langa was killed around 4am on August 13, 2012 near a railway line in Marikana, near Rustenburg in the North West. He was stabbed 18 times, his post-mortem showed.
Mr X said the strikers were armed with pangas, firearms, and spears.
Before Langa was killed a meeting was held where it was decided people going to work should be killed.
“It was decided we should kill people to send a message that there is a strike,” he said.
The inquiry is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related violence at Lonmin's platinum mining operations at Marikana.
Thirty-four people, mostly striking mineworkers, were shot dead in a clash with police, over 70 were wounded, and another 250
arrested on August 16, 2012.
Police were apparently trying to disarm and disperse them.
In the preceding week, 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed. - Sapa